Relationship between the thoracic asymmetry in standing position and the asymmetry of ankle moment in the frontal plane during gait.
Naruyoshi Komuro, Fujiyasu Kakizaki, Akira Hirosawa and 7 others
PMID 36628136WHAT IT FOUND
In healthy men, greater asymmetry of the lower thoracic shape was correlated with greater asymmetry of the ankle moment and center of pressure during the mid and terminal stance phases of gait.
Key findings
01The asymmetrical ratio of the lower thoracic shape showed significant positive correlations with the asymmetry of the internal ankle moment and the center of pressure mediolateral deviation during midstance and terminal stance.
02There was no significant correlation between thoracic parameters and the asymmetry of the center of mass mediolateral deviation.
03The internal ankle moment, center of mass, and center of pressure mediolateral deviations were significantly greater on the right side than on the left side throughout the stance phase.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study only included 22 healthy young men, so the findings may not apply to women, older adults, or people with existing spinal or thoracic deformities. Thoracic shape measurements included soft tissue thickness, which may have affected the accuracy of the skeletal assessment. The analysis of ankle moment, center of mass, and center of pressure did not account for the foot angle in the horizontal plane. The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot determine whether thoracic asymmetry causes the observed gait asymmetry or if both are results of a third factor.
Declared interests
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that correcting thoracic asymmetry will normalize ankle mechanics or improve gait. This study only shows a correlation in healthy young men and does not test any intervention.