Analysis of the asymmetry of thoracic shape at rest: relationship with lateral thoracic deviation.
Yoshihiro Aramaki, Yuuki Homma, Tetsuya Mamizu and 1 others
PMID 35698555WHAT IT FOUND
In 19 healthy young men, thorax shape was naturally asymmetrical at rest.
The degree of this asymmetry correlated with how far the thorax deviated sideways from the pelvis. This suggests that subtle postural deviations in the frontal plane contribute to normal thoracic asymmetry.
Key findings
01The thorax center point was deviated to the left side relative to the pelvic center point in about 90% of the participants.
02Left-right volume ratios in the upper front thorax showed a positive correlation with lateral thoracic deviation, while lower front and back areas showed negative correlations.
03The study found that the more the thorax center point was deviated to the left, the larger the left side volume of the upper front thorax and the larger the right-side volume of the lower thorax areas.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only 19 healthy young males, so the findings may not apply to females, older adults, or people with spinal or respiratory pathologies. The participants were screened to exclude those with obvious spinal or thoracic deformations, so this describes asymmetry in 'normal' postures rather than clinical populations. The measurement method used surface markers, so the influence of underlying muscle volume (like the scapula or pectoralis) on the calculated thoracic volume cannot be fully separated.
Declared interests
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this article.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the leftward thoracic deviation or the volume asymmetries as pathological. These findings describe normal variations in healthy young men and do not prove that correcting these asymmetries improves function or health.