Coordination of hip and spine in individuals with acute low back pain during unstable sitting

Trunk postural control differs between individuals with and without chronic low back pain (LBP). Whether this corresponds to differences in hip/spine coordination during the early acute phase of LBP (ALBP) is unclear.

To compare hip/spine coordination in relation to seat movements between individuals with and without ALBP when balancing on an unstable seat and to identify coordination strategies to maintain balance using cluster analysis.

Cross-sectional observational study.

ALBP (n=130) and pain-free (n=72) individuals.

Frequency domain measures to evaluate hip/spine coordination (amplitude spectrum, phase angle, and coherence) and time-series measures to assess overall balance performance (center of pressure [CoP] reflecting the amount of seat movements, upper thorax motion as a surrogate for head motion).

Participants maintained balance while sitting on a seat fixed to a hemisphere. Seat, hip, and spine (lower lumbar, lumbar, upper lumbar, and thoracic) angular motion and force plate data were recorded.

Overall, seat/CoP movements (amplitude spectrum and RMS_displacement) were greater (in both planes) and sagittal coordination (coherence) between the hip or lower spine and seat movements was lower in ALBP than controls. Cluster analysis using coherence data revealed different coordination strategies to maintain balance. Separate clusters used a "lower lumbar strategy" and "hip strategy" in the sagittal plane, and a "lower and upper lumbar strategy" and "lower lumbar strategy" in the frontal plane. A cluster using a "low coherence strategy" in both planes was also identified.

Hip and lower spine coordination was less in individuals with ALBP in conjunction with a lower quality of overall balance performance. However, interpretation of the relationship between coherence and overall balance performance was not straightforward. Clusters in both the ALBP group and the control group adopted a low coherence strategy, and this was not consistently related to poor overall balance performance. This suggests overall balance performance cannot be inferred from coherence alone and requires consideration of interaction of other different features.