Center of pressure palindromes reveals a wobbling standing balance in scoliotic girls

• Published in: Clinical biomechanics (Bristol) Vol. 113; p. 106217
• Main Authors: Leteneur, Sébastien, Blandeau, Mathias, Barbier, Franck, Farahpour, Nader, Allard, Paul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: Balance; Biomechanics; Center of pressure; Engineering Sciences; Female; Humans; Mechanical Phenomena; Mechanics; Palindromes; Postural Balance; Quiet standing; Scoliosis; Standing Position; Wobbling; Quiet standing; Palindromes; Center of pressure; Wobbling; Scoliosis; Balance; palindromes; balance; scoliosis; quiet standing; wobbling; Center of pressure palindromes scoliosis quiet standing balance wobbling
• ISSN: 0268-0033; 1879-1271
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2024.106217

This study characterized the center of pressure planar displacement by palindromic strings. The objective is to test if the center of pressure pathway of able-bodied girls and those with a moderate and severe scoliosis displayed similar palindromic tendencies. The center of pressure excursions of 21 able-bodied girls were compared to 14 girls with a moderate scoliosis and 14 girls with severe one. Each girl was asked to stand upright on a force platform for 64 s. A crisscross grid of nine areas was centered around the mean center of pressure position (G) to define three other zones to use the MATLAB built-in nucleotide sequence analysis function. These were the antero-posterior extremities A, the coronal extremities C and the tilted or the four corners of the crisscross grid, T. The center of pressure positions were associated to any of the 4 zones using the GATC acronym. For all groups center of pressure pattern in decreasing order was A, G, T and C. Able-bodied girls favored the A zones. Girls with moderate scoliosis displaced their center of pressure mostly in the A zones with shifts in the T sections (P ≤ 0.001). Girls with severe scoliosis, additionally displaced their center of pressure in the C zones (P ≤ 0.001). An ankle modality characterized able-bodied girl's standing balance. Girls with a moderate scoliosis privilege the palindromic zones in the antero-posterior extremities with excursions in the corners of the base of support, girls with severe scoliosis further relied on the medio-lateral zones, suggesting a wobbling standing balance. •Center of pressure displacements were measured for 21 able-bodied and 28 scoliotic girls.•MATLAB nucleotide analysis function allowed the center of pressure palindromic sequencing.•The palindromic strings revealed that scoliotic subjects adopted a wobbling standing balance.•Standing balance control follows organized pathways in different zones of the base of support.