Skip to main content
Log in

Kinematics of the lumbar spine in elderly subjects with decreased bone mineral density

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Lumbar spine kinematics was studied in subjects with normal bone mineral density, osteopenia and osteoporosis to determine the effect of bone mineral density and morphology on the flexion–extension movement patterns of the lumbar spine. Lateral radiographs and skin-mounted electromagnetic motion tracking sensors were employed to study lumbar spine kinematics using a Bayesian Belief Network model. The predicted angular displacement of the vertebrae had a high correlation (r = 0.91, p < 0.001) with the actual movements. The overall mean error was −0.51° ± 3.11°. Intervertebral angular displacement and velocity consistently increased from L1/L2 to L5/S1. Differences were observed in the movement pattern between normal subjects and those with decreased bone density. In normal subjects, vertebral angular acceleration consistently decreased from the upper to the lower vertebrae but the same consistent predictable pattern was not observed in the subjects with decreased bone mineral density. It is possible that these changes in kinematic behaviours are related to morphological changes as well as altered neuromuscular functions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Be’ery-Lipperman M, Gefen A (2005) Contribution of muscular weakness to osteoporosis: computational and animal models. Clin Biomech 20:984–997

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Dvorak J, Panjabi MM, Chang DG, Theiler K, Grob D (1991) Functional radiographic diagnosis of the lumbar spine. Flexion–extension and lateral bending. Spine 16:562–571

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. EI-Rich M, Shirazi-Adl A, Arjmand N (2004) Muscle activity, internal loads, and stability of human spine in standing postures: combined model and in vivo studies. Spine 29:2633–2642

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Fechtenbaum J, Cropet C, Kolta S, Horlait S, Orcel P, Roux C (2005) The severity of vertebral fractures and health-related quality of life in osteoporotic postmenopausal women. Osteoporos Int 16:2175–2179

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Fujii R, Sakaura H, Mukai Y, Hosono N, Ishii T, Iwasaki M, Yoshikawa H, Sugamoto K (2007) Kinematics of lumbar spine in trunk rotation: in vivo three-dimensional analysis using magnetic resonance imaging. Eur Spine J 16(11):1867–1874

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Ismail AA, Cooper C, Felsenberg D, Varlow J, Kanis JA, Silman AJ, O’Neill TW (1999) Number and type of vertebral deformities: epidemiological characteristics and relation to back pain and height loss. European vertebral osteoporosis study group. Osteoporos Int 9(3):206–213

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Kanis JA, McCloskey EV, Johansson H, Oden A, Joseph Melton LIII, Khaltaev N (2008) A reference standard for the description of osteoporosis. Bone 42:467–475

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Kirkeby S, Garbarsch C (2000) Aging affects different human muscles in various ways. An image analysis of the histomorphometric characteristics of fiber types in human masseter and vastus lateralis muscles from young adults and the very old. Histol Histopathol 15:61–71

    Google Scholar 

  9. Konz RJ, Fatone S, Stine RL, Fanju A, Gard SA, Ondra SL (2006) A kinematic model to assess spinal motion during walking. Spine 31:E898–E906

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Lau MC, Chan YH, Chan M, Woo J, Griffith J, Chan HL, Leung PC (2000) Vertebral deformity in Chinese men: prevalence, risk factors, bone mineral density, and body composition measurements. Calcif Tissue Int 66:47–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Lau MC, Woo J, Chan H, Chan KF, Griffith JF, Chan YH, Leung PC (1998) The health consequences of vertebral deformity in elderly Chinese men and women. Calcif Tissue Int 63:1–4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Lee RYW (2001) Kinematics of rotational mobilisation of the lumbar spine. Clin Biomech 16(6):481–488

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Lee RYW (2002) Measurement of movements of the lumbar spine. Physiother Theory Pract 18:159–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Lee RYW, Turner-Smith A (2003) The influence of the length of lower limb prosthesis on spinal kinematics. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 84(9):1357–1362

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Lee WS, Cheung WH, Qin L, Tang N, Leung KS (2006) Age-associated decrease of type IIA/B human skeletal muscle fibers. Clin Orthop Relat Res 450:231–237

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Lexell J (1995) Human aging, muscle mass, and fiber type composition. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 50:11–16

    Google Scholar 

  17. Ma HT, Yang Z, Griffith JF, Leung PC, Lee RY (2008) A new method for determining lumbar spine motion using Bayesian belief network. Med Biol Eng Comput 46:333–340

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Modic MT, Ross JS (2007) Lumbar degenerative disk disease. Radiology 256:43–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Myers ER, Wilson SE (1997) Biomechanics of osteoporosis and vertebral fracture. Focus issue on osteoporosis. Spine 22:25S–31S

    Google Scholar 

  20. Natarajan RN, Andersson GBJ (1999) The influence of lumbar disc height and cross-sectional area on the mechanical response of the disc to physiologic loading. Spine 24:1873–1881

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Neblett R, Mayer TG, Gatchel RJ, Keeley J, Proctor T, Anagnostis C (2003) Quantifying the lumbar flexion-relaxation phenomenon. Theory, normative data, and clinical applications. Spine 28:1435–1446

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Nikolic M, Malnar-Dragojevic D, Bobinac D, Bajek S, Jerkovic R, Soic-Vranic T (2001) Age-related skeletal muscle atrophy in humans: an immunohistochemical and morphometric study. Coll Antropol 25:545–553

    Google Scholar 

  23. Okawa A, Shinomiya K, Komori H, Muneta T, Arai Y, Nakai O (1998) Dynamic motion study of the whole lumbar spine by videofluoroscopy. Spine 23:1743–1749

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Pearcy MJ (1985) Stereo radiography of lumbar spine motion. Acta Orthop Scand 56(Suppl 212):1–45

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  25. Pearcy MJ, Hindle RJ (1989) New method for the non-invasive three dimensional measurement of human back movement. Clin Biomech 4:73–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Shirazi-Adl A (1992) Finite-element simulation of changes in the fluid content of human lumbar discs. Mechanical and clinical implications. Spine 17:206–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Takayanagi K, Yamagata M, Moriya H, Kitahara H, Tamaki T (2001) Using cineradiography for continuous dynamic-motion analysis of the lumbar spine. Spine 26:1858–1865

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Tsauo JY, Chien MY, Yang RS (2002) Spinal performance and functional impairment in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and osteopenia without vertebral fracture. Osteoporos Int 13:456–460

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Wong KWN, Luk KDK, Leong JCY, Wong SF, Wong KKY (2006) Continuous dynamic spinal motion analysis. Spine 31:414–419

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Zhang X, Xiong J (2003) Model-based derivation of lumbar vertebral kinematics in vivo reveals the difference between external marker-defined and internal segmental rotations. J Biomech 36:9–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the Hong Kong Research Grant Council (Competitive Earmarked Research Grant CERG CUHK5251/04E).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Raymond Y. W. Lee.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ma, H.T., Griffith, J.F., Yang, Z. et al. Kinematics of the lumbar spine in elderly subjects with decreased bone mineral density. Med Biol Eng Comput 47, 783–789 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-009-0493-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-009-0493-5

Keywords

Navigation