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Day-time effect on postural stability in young sportsmen
Luca Russo1, Umberto D'Eramo2, Johnny Padulo3
1Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnologies, University of L'Aquila, Italy.
Muscles, Ligaments and Tendons Journal
|April 17, 2015
Summary
Stabilometry assessments for postural sway are reliable regardless of the time of day. This study found no significant time-of-day effects on key stabilometric parameters in healthy individuals.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Human Physiology
- Clinical Assessment
Background:
- Stabilometry is a common clinical tool for assessing patient stability and posture.
- Posturologists often retest patients at different times to monitor treatment efficacy.
- Concerns exist regarding potential time-of-day influences on stabilometric data reliability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of time of day on stabilometric parameters.
- To determine if test-retest reliability is affected by variations in testing time.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-one healthy athletes performed four stabilometry tests within the same day (morning and evening).
- Key parameters measured included center of pressure sway path length, ellipse of confidence area, mean x/y sway, and ellipse eccentricity.
- Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was used to assess reliability.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant differences were observed in any stabilometric parameter across different times of the day.
- High ICC values for sway path length (0.836 open eyes, 0.816 closed eyes) indicated excellent test-retest reliability.
- Results suggest consistent stabilometric measurements irrespective of testing time.
Conclusions:
- Stabilometry evaluations are not significantly influenced by the time of day.
- Test-retest reliability of stabilometry is confirmed, even when performed at different times.
- Clinicians can confidently use stabilometry for postural sway assessment without time-of-day restrictions.
