| dc.description.abstract | The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of aging and osteoporosis on
thoracic kyphosis degree, on extensors and flexors trunk muscles torque and on
proprioception. Moreover, this study investigated the possible correlation among the
variables studied in this work. It was evaluated 40 voluntary women, divided in four
distinct groups: Young Group (10 women) aged between 20 and 30 years old, Adult
Group (10 women) aged between 40 and 50 years old, Old Group (10 women) aged more
than 60 years old and Osteoporotic Group (10 women) aged the same as the previous
group, however with diagnosis of osteoporosis on spine. The volunteers were submitted to
a previous interview, to a bone densitometry to quantify the bone mineral density of
lumbar spine and to an x-ray of the thoracic spine in lateral view to verify the thoracic
kyphosis degree. Moreover, the volunteer were submitted to a proprioception evaluation
and to the isokinetic test of the trunk muscles, both performed on the BIODEX SYSTEM
3 equipment. Data were statistically analyzed (p ≤ 0, 05). The results showed that thoracic
kyphosis degree was significantly greater in the Osteoporotic Group, followed by the Old
Group, Adult and the Young Group. It was found a significant reduction on the trunk
extensor torque imposed by ageing and aggravated by osteoporosis. The ageing
process was still responsible for a reduction on the trunk flexor torque, but this
condition was not exacerbated by osteoporosis. The extensor torque was greater than
the flexor, during both eccentric and concentric contractions, in both velocities of the
isokinetic test. However, there were no significant differences between the groups on
the extensor and flexor torque relation. The older volunteers, with and without
osteoporosis, showed a greater proprioceptive deficit than the younger volunteers. It
was found a significant negative correlation between bone mineral density with
kyphosis degree and positive correlation between mineral density and trunk extensor
torque. The thoracic kyphosis degree showed a negative correlation with the trunk
extensor torque and a positive correlation with age and proprioceptive deficit. This
study concluded that the physiologic aging process is responsible for an increased
thoracic kyphosis, a reduction of the extensor and flexor trunk torques and a reduction
of the proprioceptive sensibility. The osteoporosis amplifies the increase in thoracic
kyphosis and the reduction on the trunk extensor torque imposed by age. However, the
osteoporosis does not have any effect on the aging reduction of flexor torque of trunk
muscles and on proprioceptive deficit. | |
