Lower Extremity Joints’ Moments and Powers During Stop-Jump in Adolescents With Idiopathic Thoracic Scoliosis: A Special Look at Pelvic Compensatory Deviation

Background and Aims Major thoracic scoliosis is the most prevalent form of scoliosis, which may appear with or without a compensatory deviation of the pelvis. The impact of this pelvis malalignment on lower limb kinetics in landing and jumping has not been thoroughly explored. This study aimed to investigate the lower limb joints’ moments and powers during a stop-jump task in two groups of adolescents with major thoracic scoliosis: Those with a pelvis compensatory deviation and those without. Methods We recruited 12 adolescents with major thoracic curvature exhibiting a compensatory deviation of the pelvis and 12 without such a deviation. Using two force plates and an 8-camera motion capture system, we quantified the moments and powers of the hip, knee, and ankle joints during stop-jump tasks. Data processing and calculations were performed using Visual-3D and MATLAB software, version 21a. The time series of the variables were compared between the two groups using the SPM{t} method, with a significance level set at 0.05. SPM{t} is the statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis where a t-statistic is calculated for each voxel in an image. Results In both groups, the hip extensor moment explored the greatest moment, while the knee joint showed the smallest moment (abductor). Also, absorbed and produced power was highest at the sagittal plane of the hip joint. Both groups demonstrated symmetrical moments and powers, with no significant difference observed in the kinetics of the lower limb joints between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion The presence of pelvic deviation in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with major thoracic curvature does not significantly influence lower limb movement patterns or kinetics during stop-jump. Both groups exhibited comparable patterns of joint moments and powers, suggesting that compensatory pelvic adjustments may not play a critical role in lower limb kinetics in this context.