Whiplash injure and human body balance: a force platform analysis.

Abstract

Whiplash injury is common trauma in occidental countries, its evaluation is estimated commonly clinically. Posturography may be used to verify body human imbalance whiplash injury related. The aim of this study was to analyze human body equilibrium in both sexes and verify if posturographic test can be used to assess body human imbalance in subjects with whiplash injury. We selected 41 volunteers of both sexes to analyze human body balance trough a force platform of health subjects and subjects with whiplash injure. Recording the Centre of Pressure (CoP) movements of these groups with open and closed eyes, we found that in both sexes, subjects with cervical injure had a significant increase of velocity of oscillation of CoP, with a significant increase of Shifting Length (SL) of Cop and of total envelop area (EA) of Cop movements on the polygon support. In both sexes the absence of sight increased the instability of body equilibrium, with an anterior shifting of CoP on polygon of support, compared to other group or to respective open eyes test, but many differences appear sex-related, depending significantly by body parameters weight and stature. Our results suggest that posturographic test can be used to assess body human imbalance in subject with whiplash injury.