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. 2023 Mar 8;10(3):339.
doi: 10.3390/bioengineering10030339.

Lumbar Kinematics Assessment of Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain in Three Bridge Tests Using Miniaturized Sensors

Athanasios Triantafyllou  1   2 , Georgios Papagiannis  1   2 , Sophia Stasi  3 , Panagiotis Gkrilias  1 , Maria Kyriakidou  1 , Effrosyni Kampouroglou  4 , Apostolos-Zacharias Skouras  2 , Charilaos Tsolakis  2   5 , George Georgoudis  6 , Olga Savvidou  2 , Panayiotis Papagelopoulos  2 , Panagiotis Koulouvaris  2
Affiliations

Lumbar Kinematics Assessment of Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain in Three Bridge Tests Using Miniaturized Sensors

Athanasios Triantafyllou et al. Bioengineering (Basel). .

Abstract

Lumbar muscle atrophy, diminished strength, stamina, and increased fatigability have been associated with chronic nonspecific low back pain (LBP). When evaluating patients with LBP, trunk or core stability, provided by the performance and coordination of trunk muscles, appears to be essential. Several clinical tests have been developed to identify deficiencies in trunk performance, demonstrating high levels of validity and reproducibility. The most frequently prescribed tests for assessing the core body muscles are the prone plank bridge test (PBT), the side bridge test (SBT), and the supine bridge test (SUBT). However, quantitative assessments of the kinematics of the lumbar spine during their execution have not yet been conducted. The purpose of our study was to provide objective biomechanical data for the assessment of LBP patients. The lumbar spine ranges of motion of 22 healthy subjects (Group A) and 25 patients diagnosed with chronic LBP (Group B) were measured using two inertial measurement units during the execution of the PBT, SUBT, and SBT. Statistically significant differences between the two groups were found in all three tests' kinematic patterns. This quantitative assessment of lumbar spine motion transforms the three bridge tests into an objective biomechanical diagnostic tool for LPBs that may be used to assess the efficacy of applied rehabilitation programs.

Keywords: IMUs; bridge tests; low back patients; lumbar kinematics; miniaturized sensors.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow Chart.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(A) Prone bridge test end position. (B) Supine bridge test end position. (C) Left-side bridge test end position.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(A) Prone bridge test end position. (B) Supine bridge test end position. (C) Left-side bridge test end position.
Figure 3
Figure 3
IMUs’ placement on L1 and L5 vertebrae.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Supine bridge test results (p-value = 0.00004).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Prone bridge test results (p-value = 0.0001).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Left-side bridge test results (p-value = 0.0004).
Figure 7
Figure 7
Right-side bridge test results (p-value = 0.00002).
Figure 8
Figure 8
SUBT flexion–extension diagram for Groups A and B.
Figure 9
Figure 9
PBT flexion–extension diagram for Groups A and B.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Left-SBT lateral flexion diagram for Groups A and B.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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