Lumbopelvic Complex Alignment Defects in Adolescents: Relationships with Temperament and Implications for Individualised Prevention and Rehabilitation Strategies.

Background/

Objectives

The lumbopelvic complex plays a key role in postural regulation, core stabilisation and biomechanical coordination of spinal and pelvic alignment. The aim of the study was to analyse relationships between lumbopelvic complex alignment defects and temperament types in adolescents, and to evaluate their potential relevance for more individualised prevention and rehabilitation strategies.

Methods

The study is of a cross-sectional design. The research included 273 adolescents aged 16-17 years. Body posture was assessed using the DIERS Formetric III 4D system based on rasterstereography. Temperament traits were evaluated using the Pavlovian Temperament Survey (PTS).

Results

Body posture in the examined adolescents was characterised by high variability, and the majority of participants presented abnormalities in lumbopelvic alignment and spinal curvatures. The most common finding was flattening of physiological spinal curvatures, particularly reduced thoracic kyphosis coexisting with normal or reduced lumbar lordosis. No significant associations were found between temperament and most of the analysed postural parameters. Significant differences were identified only for the pelvic torsion DL-DR parameter (H = 9.96; p = 0.019). Pelvic torsion DL-DR values were significantly higher in the sanguine temperament group compared to the phlegmatic (p = 0.013) and choleric groups (p = 0.015). Higher values of this parameter were also observed in adolescents with a melancholic temperament.

Conclusions

Temperament may selectively influence mechanisms underlying lumbopelvic complex control, particularly regarding the pelvic torsion DL-DR parameter. Incorporating temperamental characteristics into postural diagnostics may support the development of more individualised prevention and rehabilitation programmes aimed at improving core stabilisation, motor control and functional control of the lumbopelvic complex in adolescents.