One-shoulder carrying school backpack strongly affects gait swing phase and pelvic tilt: a case study

Main Article Content

Valentina Presta https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0820-9135
Laura Galuppo
Prisco Mirandola http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5058-3924
Daniela Galli http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0200-5852
Giulia Pozzi https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6328-5133
Roberta Zoni https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8154-0719
Silvia Capici
Maria Eugenia Colucci http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4971-594X
Licia Veronesi http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5399-2934
Luca Ambrosini https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0771-3615
Giuliana Gobbi http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1197-3484
Marco Vitale http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3261-6868
Cesira Pasquarella https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1566-3854

Keywords

backpack load, schoolbag carrying, pelvic angles, back pain

Abstract

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.   

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