Yamaguchi Tsubasa, Suzuki Eizaburo, Katoh Hiroshi
Department of Physical Therapy, Graduate School, Yamagata Prefectural University of Health Sciences, Yamagata, JPN.
Cureus. 2025 Mar 25;17(3):e81210. doi: 10.7759/cureus.81210. eCollection 2025 Mar.
Introduction Arm swing during walking plays an important role in reducing energy expenditure and enhancing motor control. Arm swing has been traditionally considered to occur due to passive factors associated with spinal rotational movements. However, the relationship between arm swing angles and rotational angles at each spinal level remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between arm swing angles and spinal rotation angles at each level. Methods A total of 21 young, healthy males were included in this study. Measurements were performed during steady-state walking on a treadmill (Split R, SENSTYLE Ltd., Kumamoto, Japan) at a controlled speed. The spine was divided into four levels using a three-dimensional motion analysis system (VICON MX-T, Vicon Motion Systems Ltd., Oxford, UK): upper thoracic (T1-T7), lower thoracic (T7-L1), upper lumbar (L1-L3), and lower lumbar (L3-S). The system calculated the horizontal plane rotation angles at these levels during one gait cycle and the sagittal plane rotation angles of the lateral epicondyles of the left and right upper arms as arm swing angles. Statistical analysis was performed to compare differences in arm swing angles between the left and right arms and in rotation angles between the spinal levels. Additionally, correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between arm swing angles and spinal rotation angles at each level. Results The left arm swing angle was significantly greater than the right arm swing angle. The rotation angle at the T1-T7 level was the lowest among all levels. Additionally, the analysis of the relationship between arm swing angles and spinal rotation angles revealed that the left arm swing angle was significantly positively correlated with the L3-S angle. Conclusions Although the lower lumbar vertebrae influence left arm swing during steady-state walking, arm swing is not entirely dependent on the rotational movement of the entire spine and may be influenced by multiple other factors.
引言
步行过程中的摆臂在减少能量消耗和增强运动控制方面起着重要作用。传统上认为摆臂是由于与脊柱旋转运动相关的被动因素而发生的。然而，每个脊柱节段的摆臂角度与旋转角度之间的关系仍不清楚。因此，本研究旨在探讨每个节段的摆臂角度与脊柱旋转角度之间的关系。
方法
本研究共纳入21名年轻健康男性。在跑步机（Split R，SENSTYLE有限公司，日本熊本）上以受控速度进行稳态步行时进行测量。使用三维运动分析系统（VICON MX-T，Vicon运动系统有限公司，英国牛津）将脊柱分为四个节段：上胸椎（T1-T7）、下胸椎（T7-L1）、上腰椎（L1-L3）和下腰椎（L3-S）。该系统计算一个步态周期内这些节段在水平面的旋转角度以及左右上臂外侧髁在矢状面的旋转角度作为摆臂角度。进行统计分析以比较左右臂摆臂角度以及脊柱各节段旋转角度的差异。此外，进行相关性分析以评估每个节段的摆臂角度与脊柱旋转角度之间的关系。
结果
左臂摆臂角度显著大于右臂摆臂角度。T1-T7节段的旋转角度在所有节段中最低。此外，摆臂角度与脊柱旋转角度之间的关系分析表明，左臂摆臂角度与L3-S节段角度显著正相关。
结论
尽管在稳态步行过程中下腰椎会影响左臂摆臂，但摆臂并不完全依赖于整个脊柱的旋转运动，可能还受到多种其他因素的影响。
