Dynamical Analysis of Standing Balance Control on Sloped Surfaces in Individuals with Lumbar Disc Herniation

The changes of balance control mechanism caused by lumbar disc herniation (LDH) has not been well understood. This study aimed to investigate the effects of LDH on the balance control during standing on sloped surfaces. Ten patients with LDH and 10 gender- and age-matched healthy subjects were instructed to stand quietly on a sloped surface at −5°, 0° or +5°, respectively. The trajectories of the center of pressure (COP) of each individual limb and the full-body were recorded. Cross recurrence quantification analysis (CRQA) was applied to assess the coordination of COP components at the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions. The patients with LDH presented magnified inter-limb load asymmetry and had more deterministic components in the COP coordination of the less-affected limb and the full-body than the healthy subjects. The LDH led to decreased dynamical degree of freedom and less flexibility in bidirectional controlling the center of mass simultaneously. The effects of sensorimotor deficits due to LDH could be more obviously exhibited as standing on a declined rather than an inclined surface. This study shed light on the effects of LDH on standing balance control and may facilitate to develop novel strategies for evaluation of LDH.