Roussouly’s sagittal spino-pelvic morphotypes as determinants of gait in asymptomatic adult subjects

• Published in: Gait & posture Vol. 54; no. NA; pp. 27 - 33
• Main Authors: Bakouny, Ziad, Assi, Ayman, Massaad, Abir, Saghbini, Elie, Lafage, Virginie, Skalli, Wafa, Ghanem, Ismat, Kreichati, Gaby
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier B.V 01.05.2017; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Biomechanical Phenomena - physiology; Biomechanics; Cross-Sectional Studies; Engineering Sciences; Female; Gait; Gait - physiology; Humans; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; Kinematics; Lumbar lordosis; Male; Mechanics; Orthopedics; Pelvic incidence; Pelvis - physiology; Posture - physiology; Roussouly classification; Sagittal alignment; Spine - physiology; Walking - physiology; Young Adult; Sagittal alignment; Lumbar lordosis; Roussouly classification; Gait; Pelvic incidence; Kinematics
• ISSN: 0966-6362; 1879-2219; 1879-2219
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2017.02.018

•Relationship between spine sagittal alignment and gait was studied in asymptomatics.•Subjects with different alignment morphotypes had varying gait kinematics.•Subjects with Roussouly’s type 2 alignment had the most deviant gait kinematics.•Pelvic tilt during gait is not determined by radiographic pelvic tilt. Sagittal alignment is known to greatly vary between asymptomatic adult subjects; however, there are no studies on the possible effect of these differences on gait. The aim of this study is to investigate whether asymptomatic adults with different Roussouly sagittal alignment morphotypes walk differently. Ninety-one asymptomatic young adults (46M & 45W), aged 21.6±2.2years underwent 3D gait analysis and full body biplanar X-rays with three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions of their spines and pelvises and generation of sagittal alignment parameters. Subjects were divided according to Roussouly’s sagittal alignment classification. Sagittal alignment and kinematic parameters were compared between Roussouly types. 17 subjects were classified as type 2, 47 as type 3, 26 as type 4 but only 1 as type 1. Type 2 subjects had significantly more mean pelvic retroversion (less mean pelvic tilt) during gait compared to type 3 and 4 subjects (type 2: 8.2°; type 3:11.2°, type 4: 11.3°) and significantly larger ROM pelvic obliquity compared to type 4 subjects (type 2: 11.0°; type 4: 9.1°). Type 2 subjects also had significantly larger maximal hip extension during stance compared to subjects of types 3 and 4 (type 2: −11.9°; type 3: −8.8°; type 4: −7.9°) and a larger ROM of ankle plantar/dorsiflexion compared to type 4 subjects (type 2: 31.1°; type 4: 27.9°). Subjects with type 2 sagittal alignment were shown to have a gait pattern involving both increased hip extension and pelvic retroversion which could predispose to posterior femoroacetabular impingement and consequently osteoarthritis.