Examination of body static rotation related to step length asymmetry: biomechanics of the thorax and pelvis.
Kai Iida, Tsutomu Fukui, Kazuyuki Mito
PMID 36866003WHAT IT FOUND
In 15 healthy men, greater asymmetry in sitting thorax rotation was linked to step length asymmetry during treadmill walking.
Static pelvic rotation tests showed no such link. These findings apply only to healthy young adults and do not prove that correcting thorax rotation improves gait in patients.
Key findings
01Asymmetry in static thorax rotation in sitting correlated significantly with asymmetry in step length during treadmill gait.
02Asymmetry in static pelvic rotation in standing and in kneeling did not correlate with step length asymmetry.
03Asymmetry in pelvic rotation during gait correlated with step length asymmetry and with thorax rotation asymmetry in sitting.
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 15 healthy young male adults, so findings cannot be generalized to women, older adults, or patients with orthopedic or neurological conditions. Gait was measured only on a treadmill at a single speed of 4.6 km/h, which may not reflect overground walking or varying speeds. The study design is cross-sectional and correlational, so it cannot establish that static thorax rotation asymmetry causes step length asymmetry. The static tests required participants to keep their head and thorax still, which may not reflect natural movement patterns. No kinetic data were collected, limiting understanding of the forces underlying the observed kinematic relationships.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the correlation between static thorax rotation asymmetry and step length asymmetry as evidence that treating thorax rotation will correct gait asymmetry in patients. The study was conducted in healthy young men on a treadmill, and no intervention was tested. The relationship is descriptive, not causal, and may not hold in clinical populations.