SPINAL CORD POSTURE IN THE SAGITTAL PLANE AMONG YOUNG SCHOOLCHILDREN RESIDING IN THE AREA OF KNJAŽEVAC

Abstract

In determining the postural status of the spinal column of preschool age children or young school age children, early detection of bad posture is necessary, so that it could be rectified through the proper corrective exercise. The aim of this study is to determine the state of the postural disorders of the spinal column, viewed in the sagittal plane, on a population of preschool children, and young school age children, living on the territory of the municipality of Knjaževac. The sample of participants consisted of 515 young school age and  125 preschool children. In order to determine the postural status of the spinal column in the sagittal plane, we used the ‘Spinal Mouse’ measuring instrument. The results have shown that in both age groups, more than 50% of the children have some form of postural disorder in the sagittal plane. The most widely distributed disorders are the kyphotic and lordotic posture, followed by kypholordosis. In terms of gender, younger school age girls have a more pronounced kypholordotic posture when compared to the boys, with 6% and 1.6% respectively. The frequency of the other postural disorders is almost identical. In the case of female preschool children, the kyphotic posture is  more predominant, while in the case of the boys the lordotic posture is more frequent. The obtained data are important for designing a proper corrective gymnastics program for the improvement of the postural status of the spinal column in the sagittal plane of children living in Knjaževac.

Key words: kyphosis, lordosis, straight back, gender, differences