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Trunk positioning accuracy in children 7-18 years old.
J A Ashton-Miller1, K M McGlashen, A B Schultz
1Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109-2125.
Summary
Trunk proprioception, the sense of body position, significantly improves with age in children. This study tracked trunk positioning accuracy and body sway in healthy individuals aged 7-18 years.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomechanics
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Proprioception is crucial for maintaining balance and posture.
- Understanding age-related changes in trunk proprioception is important for identifying developmental milestones and potential issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess trunk proprioception in healthy children aged 7-18 years.
- To investigate the relationship between age, sex, and trunk positioning accuracy.
- To evaluate the impact of external trunk moments on proprioceptive ability.
Main Methods:
- Infrared markers were used to track head and trunk positions (T1, T8, S1 spinous processes) in 253 healthy children.
- Participants performed tasks to assess accuracy in returning the trunk to a neutral frontal plane position.
- Whole-body sway was measured during relaxed standing, quantifying trunk marker and center of pressure (CP) movements.
Main Results:
- Trunk positioning accuracy significantly improved with age (p = 0.000), with 7-year-olds averaging 2.5° and 18-year-olds averaging 0.9°.
- No significant gender differences in trunk positioning accuracy were observed.
- External trunk moments slightly diminished accuracy but not significantly; trunk sway and CP amplitudes did not correlate with age or sex.
Conclusions:
- Trunk proprioception develops significantly throughout childhood and adolescence.
- Age is a key factor influencing the precision of trunk repositioning in the frontal plane.
- Spine decompensation exceeding 20 mm may indicate an abnormality in healthy children and adolescents.