A 3D spine & full skeleton model for multi-sensor biomechanical analysis in posture & gait

Spine and posture disorders cover relevant role in rehabilitation. Quantitative functional evaluation of spine is highly desirable in Posture and Movement/Gait analysis. However, given the complexity of Rachis Mechanical System, very few studies outline the behaviour of spine during Posture and Movement/Gait analysis. During the last 20 years of research, a complete 3D parametric biomechanical skeleton model including a 3D full spine model has been developed. It works using as input 3D Opto-electronic stereophotogrammetric measurements of body landmarks labelled by passive markers, and it relies on anatomical findings reported in literature associated to specially developed signal processing procedures. Depending on different analysis purposes, the model can work at different stages of complexity. The model is able to fully integrate data deriving from multiple measurement devices, such as 3D stereo-photogrammetric systems, force platforms, SEMG, foot pressure maps to evaluate human Posture and Movement/Gait. Using optimisation procedures the model allows the assessment of ROMs and load distribution patterns of lower limb, pelvis, trunk, head and spine joints. In spine, the assessment is led up to each inter-vertebral level between C7 and S1. The possibility to assess and to extract mean behaviours for cyclic or repetitive tasks (multiple strides in gait) has been included as well. Hundreds of patients with different posture and movement disorders have been analysed with this approach. The aim of this paper is to describe the actual level of development and its actual capability to be used as a clinical tool. To this purpose, examples of Multi-factorial quantitative functional descriptions of pathological cases are presented.