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The Relationship of Pelvic Anatomy to Energy Use During Walking: Implications for OMT to Increase Pelvic Mobility
D'Agostino, S. L.
DeNardi, L. K. [1]
Honl, C. C. [1]
Lee, R. [14]
Murray, B. A. [1]
Hanna, J. [3]

Journal: The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association Date: 2011/01, 111(1):Pages: 59. doi: Subito , type of study: observational study

Full text    (https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.7556/jaoa.2011.111.1.54/html)

Keywords:

anatomy [102]
leg length [26]
observational study [217]
pelvis [53]
walking [12]

Abstract:

Osteopathy teaches that structure and function are interrelated and a historical examination of this relationship may help us better understand lower limb morphology. For example, early fossil bipeds like “Lucy” (Australopithecus afarensis) have provided a wealth of information regarding the specific anatomic features of bipedalism. Lucy has relatively short lower limbs, and short lower limbs may increase the energy cost of walking, thereby causing reduced efficiency during ambulation (Kram and Taylor, 1991). Lucy also had an exaggerated pelvic breadth, which may have allowed her to increase pelvic rotation and therefore stride length during walking. This increase in stride length, due to greater pelvic rotation, may have allowed early hominids to overcome the energetic cost of having such short lower limbs (Rak, 1991). In modern humans, recent work supports the idea that a wide pelvis allows short-legged people to achieve greater stride lengths and higher walking speeds (Gruss, 2006), but the energy cost of such anatomy and function has not been examined. To determine if limb length and pelvic breadth are correlated with energy use during walking, each subject walked at a steady rate on the treadmill as we evaluated stride length and pelvic rotation using 4 motion-capturing cameras while the gas analysis system collected oxygen consumption (a proxy for metabolic rate). Limb length and bi-trochanteric breadth (as a proxy for pelvic breadth) were also measured on each subject. The data were analyzed using motion analysis software (Innovision Systems Inc, Columbiaville, Michigan) and custom-written Microsoft Office Excel (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington) macros. Stride length as a percentage of lower limb length was significantly correlated with pelvic rotation (R2=0.3348, P=.04). In addition, metabolic rate was significantly and negatively correlated with pelvic rotation (R2=-0.507, P=.03). Thus, subjects who exhibited longer strides and greater pelvic rotation used less energy during walking. These data show a direct relationship between structure and function, which can be applied to osteopathic medicine and treatment. We suggest that treatment of patients with somatic dysfunction in the lower limb and pelvis may help decrease patient energy use and increase efficiency during walking. The procedures used in this study were reviewed and approved by the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) institutional review board (protocol #JH10262009). Funding for this study was through a WVSOM intramural grant.


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