Hip sway associated with vestibulopathy

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomechanics
• Vestibular System

Background:

• Vestibular deficits are associated with balance impairments.
• Excessive hip sway is observed in some patients with vestibular complaints during balance testing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the postural control strategies employed by patients with vestibular deficits exhibiting excessive hip sway.
• To compare the body movement and muscle activation patterns of these patients to those of healthy individuals.

Main Methods:

• Studied 9 patients with vestibular complaints and excessive hip sway during backward support surface translations.
• Compared patient responses to normal subjects on a flat surface and balancing on a narrow beam.
• Analyzed body movement and proximal muscle activation patterns.
• Compared patient responses to voluntary hip sway responses in normal subjects.

Main Results:

• Patients displayed hip movement patterns similar to normal subjects balancing on a narrow beam, not responding to flat surface translations.
• Two distinct muscle activation patterns were observed in patients, neither matching normal responses to flat surface translations.
• Four patients showed variable hip flexion muscle activation; five showed minimal proximal muscle activation, relying on ankle strategies.
• Voluntary hip sway in normal subjects showed a different muscle activation timing compared to patients.

Conclusions:

• Vestibular deficits can lead to abnormal, uncoordinated postural movement strategies characterized by excessive hip sway.
• The observed hip sway in patients is unlikely to be a voluntary response to support surface translations.
• These findings highlight unique postural control adaptations in individuals with vestibular impairments.