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. 2023 Nov 15;11(11):227.
doi: 10.3390/sports11110227.

Effects of Cycling on Spine: A Case-Control Study Using a 3D Scanning Method

Antonino Patti  1 , Valerio Giustino  1 , Giuseppe Messina  2   3 , Flavia Figlioli  1 , Stefania Cataldi  4 , Luca Poli  4 , Giacomo Belmonte  1 , Alessandro Valenza  1 , Alessandra Amato  5 , Ewan Thomas  1 , Izabela Rutkowska  6 , Paula Esteban-García  7 , Antonio Palma  1 , Antonino Bianco  1
Affiliations

Effects of Cycling on Spine: A Case-Control Study Using a 3D Scanning Method

Antonino Patti et al. Sports (Basel). .

Abstract

Background: Few studies have investigated the effects of adopting a specific and prolonged posture on cyclists. This study aimed to evaluate the upright spine in a sample of recreational cyclists and compare it with a sample of non-cyclists, though still athletes, through a 3D scanning method.

Methods: Forty-eight participants were enrolled in this observational study. The sample consisted of 25 cyclists for the cycling group and 23 non-cyclist athletes for the control group. The Spine3D device (Sensor Medica, Guidonia Montecelio, Rome, Italy) was used to evaluate the spine of the participants in both groups.

Results: The results showed significantly greater spine inclination in the cycling group compared to the control group (p < 0.01). Furthermore, there was a significant decrease in lumbar lordosis in the cycling group compared to the control group (p < 0.01).

Conclusions: This case-control study raises the possibility that the onset of lower back pain in cyclists may be due to a reduction in lumbar lordosis. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that the Spine3D device can be used in sports to monitor the spine of athletes to prevent and reduce musculoskeletal deficits.

Keywords: bicycle; bike; biomechanics; cycling; cyclists; lower back pain; posture; spine.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The STROBE flow chart of the study.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The clinical setting.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(a–c): The image shows how the software automatically calculates different parameters.
Figure 4
Figure 4
(a–c): The image shows how the software automatically calculates different parameters.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Relationship between cervical curvature and the independent variables: Spine Length, Kyphotic Angle, and Spine Inclination.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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