Biomechanics of the immediate impact of wearing a rigid thoracolumbar corset on gait kinematics and spatiotemporal parameters

The corset support is a device classified as orthosis. It compensates a functional deficiency with means of protection, recovery, correction, maintenance, and support or contention. There are two types of orthosis 1) rest orthosis and 2) corrective orthosis. Rest orthosis maintains joints in a defined position to avoid deformities or to relieve a pain at joints. Corrective orthosis adjusts joint deformity either passively or actively. Corset is used in various pathological use, thoracic-lumbar fracture, scoliosis, Scheuermann’s disease or spinal dystrophy. The purpose of this study was 1) to determine the immediate impact of wearing a semi-rigid thoracolumbar corset, the Lombax® Dorso on gait kinematics and 2) spatiotemporal parameters in 6 adults. These parameters were recorded using the optoelectronic system Vicon® on treadmill gait subjects with and without corset for the comparison. The results showed that wearing a corset significantly decrease the rotation amplitudes of the scapular and pelvic girdles (p<0.05) in the frontal plane. The movement of the pelvis and hip in this same plane was decreased also when comparing with and without a corset effects (p