The use of backpacks is common to both adults and children and often leads to the onset of musculoskeletal discomforts. Although a large number of studies have focused on the optimal load for children schoolbags, there is no general consensus. Here we report a 13-yr old girl case study, showing the impact of weight and wearing the school backpack on gait parameters. The variation of gait parameters and pelvis angles in different conditions were studied: without backpack (CTRL), or with backpack at 10% Body Weight (10BW), 15% BW (15BW) and 20% BW (20BW), carried “on both shoulders” (2S), “on one shoulder” (1S), or “with one hand” (1H). Swing phase was comparably modified by 2S/20BW and 1S/10BW conditions, suggesting that a lower backpack weight was sufficient to induce gait alterations when carried in asymmetrical conditions. Pelvic tilt, which was preserved by a two-shoulders distributed 10% BW load (2S/10BW), was strongly reduced in asymmetrical condition (1S/10BW), suggesting that a low weight carried on a single shoulder generates postural modifications including reduction of pelvic tilting, which is known to be associated to low back pain.
About The Expert
Valentina Presta
Laura Galuppo
Prisco Mirandola
Daniela Galli
Giulia Pozzi
Roberta Zoni
Silvia Capici
Maria Eugenia Colucci
Licia Veronesi
Luca Ambrosini
Giuliana Gobbi
Marco Vitale
Cesira Pasquarella
References
PubMed