Sitting and Standing Posture in Children and Youth with a Paedatric Spinal Deformity

INTRODUCTION Idiopathic Scoliosis (IS), is a sub-class of paediatric spinal deformities that is of unknown origin, and is characterized by a complex three dimensional curvature of the spine that is accompanied by spatial disorientation of the thoracic cage and postural dyscontrol [1-3]. With the aim of guiding clinical decisions and enhancing clinical outcomes, previous work has identified risk factors that are associated with curve progression that include skeletal maturity, gender and family history.[1] Recently emergent hypothesis have proposed possible associations between asymmetric vertebral loading, muscle imbalance, vertebral deformity and curve progression [2]. In recognition that traditional models of clinical management have focused on the assessment of posture in an upright standing position [3], we propose to expand current clinical models to include a variety of tasks that are more typical of activities of everyday life. The present work situates itself within an ongoing project that is focused on the enhancement of our understanding of the relationship between the structure and biomechanical function of the spine. At this initial stage, the primary objective is to develop preliminary observations about differences in postural stability and alignment between sitting and standing postures. This initial analysis will guide the development of mechanical models of spinal stability for children living with IS.