The Sizes of Spine Curvatures of Children That Practice Selected Sports

Natalia Twarowska-Grybalow () and Aleksandra Truszczyńska-Baszak
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Natalia Twarowska-Grybalow: Department of Physiotherapy, Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, 00-968 Warsaw, Poland
Aleksandra Truszczyńska-Baszak: Department of Physiotherapy, Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, 00-968 Warsaw, Poland

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-10

Abstract: (1) Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the shape of the spine curves in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar sections of children that practice selected sports. (2) Methods: The body posture of the examined children was assessed using the digital photography method, i.e., the Moiré method. Selected parameters characterizing the curvature of the spine (the Alpha, Beta and Gamma angles, the size of kyphosis in the thoracic spine and the size of lordosis in the lumbar spine) were analyzed. (3) Results: The study of the body posture using the Moiré method allowed for the assessment of the angles that determine the size of the spine’s curvature. The analysis of differences among the groups included in the study (football, swimming, biathlon/taekwondo, volleyball) was carried out on the basis of one-dimensional models that take into account the distributions of individual parameters. On the basis of the Alpha, Beta and Gamma angles, it was possible to calculate the size of kyphosis in the thoracic section and the size of lordosis in the lumbar spine. There was a statistically significant difference in the size of the Alpha, Beta and Gamma parameters among the groups. (4) Conclusions: Most of the respondents had the correct body posture in the sagittal plane, regardless of the type of sport they practiced. Our results did not allow us to unequivocally state whether practicing various sports and having different training loads resulting from these sports have a negative or positive effect on the size of the anterior–posterior curvatures of the spine.

Keywords: body posture; Moiré method; physical activity; spine (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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