Cardon G, Balagué F
Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Eura Medicophys. 2004 Mar;40(1):15-20.
The interest on backpacks, particularly with regard to their potential unfavourable effect on spinal disorders in school children, has dramatically increased during the last years. The aim of the present study was to look critically at the recent publications and to qualify some ''common sense-based rules''. In recent studies no or weak associations between spinal disorders in children and backpack use could be identified, which is related to the methodology of the studies. From reviewing the biomechanical and physiological effects of backpack use, it was concluded that there is evidence that carrying a heavy backpack results in trunk forward lean and that there are indications that backpack use can increase metabolic cost and alter gait kinetics in youngsters. However there is no evidence that postural, metabolic or kinetic adaptations to backpack use, cause back disorders at young age. Spinal forces based on the above mentioned postural responses can be presumed. However, the amount of work represented by the school backpacks should be compared with the physical activities performed by the same youngsters during their leisure time and is probably not as dangerous as claimed in some media. Therefore the uproar in medical and educational societies and in the media, to sensitize children, parents and educators, with weight cut-off limitations and other backpack use safety guidelines can not be justified and overmedicalizing this issue should be avoided.
在过去几年中，人们对背包的关注显著增加，尤其是其对学童脊柱疾病可能产生的不利影响。本研究的目的是批判性地审视近期的出版物，并对一些“基于常识的规则”进行限定。在近期的研究中，未发现儿童脊柱疾病与背包使用之间存在关联或仅有微弱关联，这与研究方法有关。通过回顾背包使用的生物力学和生理学影响，得出的结论是，有证据表明背负沉重背包会导致躯干前倾，并且有迹象表明背包使用会增加青少年的代谢成本并改变步态动力学。然而，没有证据表明对背包使用的姿势、代谢或动力学适应会在年轻时导致背部疾病。基于上述姿势反应的脊柱受力情况是可以推测的。然而，学校背包所代表的工作量应与这些青少年在休闲时间进行的体育活动相比较，其危险性可能并不像一些媒体所声称的那样高。因此，医学和教育界以及媒体为了让儿童、家长和教育工作者提高认识而引发的关于重量限制和其他背包使用安全指南的喧嚣是不合理的，应避免对这个问题过度医疗化。
