Assessment of the Coordination of Pelvic and Thoracic Rotations during the Gait of Young Males

Abstract

[Purpose] We investigated the relationship between pelvic and thoracic vertebral rotation movements during gait by analyzing the thoracic vertebrae in several segments. [Participants and Methods] Eighteen young male subjects participated in this study. Their pelvic and thoracic spinal rotational movements during gait were measured using a three-dimensional motion analysis system. The thoracic spine was analyzed in four segments (T2, T4, T7, and T10), and waveform correlation coefficients and rotational amplitudes were calculated for each segment. [Results] The waveform correlation coefficients showed a strong positive correlation between the pelvis and the T7 and T10 vertebrae. In terms of rotational amplitude, T7 and T10 exhibited similar rotation to the pelvis, indicating a positive correlation with pelvic rotation. [Conclusion] The lower thoracic vertebrae rotated ipsilaterally with the pelvis during gait, demonstrating coordinated movement. These findings highlight the importance of detailed analysis of the thoracic vertebral segments as a new indicator of gait assessment which has potential clinical application.