Standard values of the upper body posture in healthy adults with special regard to age, sex and BMI

  • In order to classify and analyze the parameters of upper body posture in clinical or physiotherapeutic settings, a baseline in the form of standard values with special regard to age, sex and BMI is required. Thus, subjectively healthy men and women aged 21–60 years were measured in this project. The postural parameters of 800 symptom-free male (n = 397) and female (n = 407) volunteers aged 21–60 years (Ø♀: 39.7 ± 11.6, Ø ♂: 40.7 ± 11.5 y) were studied. The mean height of the men was 1.8 ± 0.07 m, with a mean body weight of 84.8 ± 13.1 kg and an average BMI of 26.0 ± 3.534 kg/m2. In contrast, the mean height of the women was 1.67 ± 0.06 m, with a mean body weight of 66.5 ± 12.7 kg and an average BMI of 23.9 ± 4.6 kg/m2. By means of video rasterstereography, a 3-dimensional scan of the upper back surface was measured when in a habitual standing position. The means or medians, confidence intervals, tolerance ranges, the minimum, 2.5, 25, 50, 75, 97.5 percentiles and the maximum, plus the kurtosis and skewness of the distribution, were calculated for all parameters. Additionally, ANOVA and a factor analyses (sex, BMI, age) were conducted. In both sexes across all age groups, balanced, symmetrical upper body statics were evident. Most strikingly, the females showed greater thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis angles (kyphosis: Ø ♀ 56°, Ø♂ 51°; lordosis: Ø ♀ 49°, Ø♂ 32°) and lumbar bending angles (Ø ♀ 14°, Ø♂ 11°) than the males. The distance between the scapulae was more pronounced in men. These parameters also show an increase with age and BMI, respectively. Pelvic parameters were independent of age and sex. The upper body postures of women and men between the ages of 21 and 60 years were found to be almost symmetrical and axis-conforming with a positive correlation for BMI or age. Consequently, the present body posture parameters allow for comparisons with other studies, as well as for the evaluation of clinical (interim) diagnostics and applications.

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Author:Daniela Maren OhlendorfORCiDGND, Ioanna Avaniadi, Frederic AdjamiGND, Wolfgang Christian, Charlotte DoerryGND, Viola Nathalie FayGND, Vanessa FischGND, Ali GerezGND, Julian Goecke, Ugur KayaGND, Julia KellerGND, Kai-Dominik KrügerGND, Julia PflaumGND, Laurin Porsch, Christina LoeweGND, Benjamin Scharnweber, Polyna SosnovGND, Eileen M. WankeORCiDGND, Gerhard OremekORCiDGND, H. Ackermann, Fabian Christian HolzgreveORCiDGND, Fee KeilORCiDGND, Jan David Alexander GronebergORCiDGND, Christian Maurer-GrubingerORCiDGND
URN:urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-826410
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-27976-8
ISSN:2045-2322
Parent Title (English):Scientific Reports
Publisher:Nature Publishing Group
Place of publication:London
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Date of Publication (online):2023/01/17
Date of first Publication:2023/01/17
Publishing Institution:Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Release Date:2024/03/01
Volume:13
Issue:1, Article number: 873
Article Number:873
Page Number:16
Institutes:Medizin
Dewey Decimal Classification:6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 61 Medizin und Gesundheit / 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
Sammlungen:Universitätspublikationen
Licence (German):License LogoCreative Commons - Namensnennung 4.0