Standard reference values of the upper body posture in healthy male adults aged between 31 and 40 years in Germany-an observational study

Abstract

Background: In order to classify and analyze the parameters of upper body posture, a baseline in the form of standard values is demanded. To this date, standard values have only been published for healthy men aged 18-35 and 41-50 years. Data for male adults aged between 31 and 40 years are lacking.

Methods: The postural parameters of 101 symptom-free male volunteers aged 31-40 (35.58 ± 2.88) years were studied. The mean height of the men was 179.89 ± 7.38 cm, with a mean body weight of 86.36 ± 11.58 kg and an average BMI of 26.70 ± 3.35 kg/m². By means of video rasterstereography, a 3-dimensional scan of the upper back surface was measured in a habitual standing position. The means or medians, confidence interval, tolerance range, and group comparisons and correlations of BMI and physical activity were calculated for all parameters.

Results: The habitual standing position was found to be almost symmetrical and the axis aligned in the spine, pelvis, and shoulder region, while the spine position was marginally inclined ventrally. The kyphosis angle of the thoracic spine was greater than the lordosis angle of the lumbar spine. All deviations fell under the measurement error margin of 1 mm/1°. The greater the BMI, the greater was the pelvic and scapular distance. The lower the BMI, the further caudally positioned was the right shoulder. The pelvic and scapular distances were also lower with the increasing athleticism of the participants.

Conclusion: The upper body posture of men between the ages of 31 and 40 years was found to be almost symmetrical and axis-conforming, with the kyphosis angle, pelvic distance, and shoulder distance enlarging with increasing BMI. Consequently, postural parameters presented in this survey allow for comparisons with other studies, as well as the evaluation of clinical diagnostics and applications.

Keywords: BMI; Healthy men; Standard value; Upper body posture; Video rasterstereography.

Fig. 1

a Illustration of the 3D-back scan. b Representation of the gray-scale image; color coding of the lines: green = spine, orange = shoulder, purple = pelvis. c Display of the contour line image; (1) VP, (2) SP, (3) AISL, (4) AISR, (5) DL, (6) DR

Fig. 2

a–c Significant correlations between the BMI and the scapular distance (a), the scapluar angle right (b), and the pelvic distance (c)

Fig. 3

a Significant pair comparison of the pelvis distance indicated physical activity. b Significant group comparison of the left scapular angle indicated physical activity