Spine Kinematics During Handstands
Author Information
Author(s): Camille Eyssartier, Pierre Billard, Patricia Thoreux, Christophe Sauret
Primary Institution: Institut de Biomécanique Humaine Georges Charpak, Arts et Métiers Sciences and Technologies, Paris, France
Hypothesis
The balance of the spine is achieved through a different sagittal alignment in upright bipedal standing and handstand postures.
Conclusion
The study provides insights into how the spine adapts to an inverted body load during handstands.
Supporting Evidence
- Gymnasts showed pelvic retroversion during handstands, leading to decreased lumbar lordosis and thoracic kyphosis.
- The handstand resulted in significant changes in spinal curvatures compared to upright standing.
- Pelvic incidence remained stable on average, but individual variations were observed.
Takeaway
This study looked at how gymnasts' spines behave when they do handstands, showing that their spine changes shape in this position.
Methodology
Nineteen national-level artistic gymnasts underwent low-dose biplanar radiographs in both upright standing and handstand positions to analyze spinal parameters.
Limitations
The study's findings may not apply to non-gymnasts, and the small number of gymnasts in the pelvic anteversion group limits conclusions about this strategy.
Participant Demographics
19 gymnasts (7 women and 12 men), aged 12 to 21, competing at the national level.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p = 0.04, p = 0.02, p = 0.01, p < 0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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