Objective parallel-forms reliability assessment of 3 dimension real time body posture screening tests

BACKGROUND: Screening tests play a significant role in rapid and reliable assessment of normal individual development in the entire population of children and adolescents. Body posture screening tests carried out at schools reveal that 50-60% of children and adolescents demonstrate body posture abnormalities, with 10% of this group at risk for progressive spinal deformities. This necessitates the search for effective and economically feasible forms of screening diagnosis. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability of clinical evaluation of body posture compared to objective assessment with the Zebris CMS-10 system (Zebris Medical GmbH). METHODS: The study enrolled 13-15-year-old pupils attending a junior secondary school (mean age 14.2 years). The study group consisted of 138 participants, including 71 girls and 67 boys, who underwent a clinical evaluation of the body posture and an examination with the Zebris CMS 10 system. RESULTS: Statistically significant discrepancies between the clinical and objective evaluation were noted with regard to lumbar lordosis in boys (n = 67) and thoracic kyphosis in girls (n = 71). No statistically significant differences in both groups were noted for pelvic rotation and trunk position in the frontal plane. CONCLUSIONS: 1. The finding of significant discrepancies between the results of assessment in the sagittal plane obtained in the clinical examination and Zebris CMS-10-based assessment suggests that clinical evaluation should be used to provide a general estimation of accentuation or reduction of spinal curvatures in the sagittal plane. 2. The clinical evaluation of posture is reliable with regard to assessment in the frontal plane. 3. The Zebris CMS-10 system makes the clinical examination significantly more objective with regard to assessment of the physiological curvatures and may be used to make screening tests more objective with regard to detecting postural defects. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2431-14-221) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.