The aim of the paper was to determine a correlation between the weight of a child’s backpack, their body weight, and certain features of their body posture.Material and Methods. The study group consisted of 109 children, all aged seven years. The parameters of body posture were determined using the Zebris Ultrasonic System.Results. The number of children carrying a school backpack in accordance with recommendations was 44 subjects (40.37%). Statistically significant changes were found in the total length of the spine (Z=2.223,p=0.026) and between backpack weight and changes in the following parameters: the total length of the spine (rs=-0.3999,p=0.017), the length and the angle of the lumbar lordosis (rs=-0.3352,p=0.049), the angle of the lumbar lordosis (rs=-0.5065,p=0.002), and the sacral angle (rs=-0.4279,p=0.010).Conclusions. Wearing a backpack heavier than 10% of one’s body weight can cause shallowing of the lumbar lordosis and a tendency towards a vertical position of the sacrum. Monitoring the weight of children’s school backpacks and enabling them to leave books and notebooks at school would probably be beneficial in reducing the daily burden put on children’s spines.

BACKGROUND: Carrying a backpack is common among schoolchildren. The effect of backpack load on spine pain and posture defects in children is often raised in the literature. According to scientific research, the maximum backpack load that is safe for

The aim of this study was to assess static balance in patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis who qualified for surgical decompression of associated neural structures and compare them with asymptomatic participants. This case-controlled study evaluated a sample of 50 patients with spinal canal stenosis (stenosis group) and 48 participants with no history of clinical symptoms of back pain. Static balance was assessed by conducting quantitative analysis of balance reaction parameters in quiet standing with the eyes closed. Higher values were observed in total length of center of pressure (COP) path, length of COP path in the anterior-posterior plane, mean amplitude of COP projection in the anterior-posterior plane, maximal amplitude between the 2 most distant points in the anterior-posterior plane, mean COP velocity, and sway area marked by the moving COP in the stenosis group compared with the asymptomatic group. This study showed statistically significant differences in static balance parameters between patients with spinal canal stenosis compared with the asymptomatic group.

Involutional changes to the body in elderly patients affect the shape of the spine and the activity of postural muscles. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of age-related changes in spinal curvature on postural balance in elderly women.