Multivariate shoulder and spine relationship using planar range of motion assessment

CONTEXT: Goniometry and posture are commonly used metrics in clinical assessment of the shoulder and spine. When both the shoulder and spine are assessed individually using these techniques, there are structural and functional musculoskeletal relationships between the two anatomical regions that may be overlooked. OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationships between and within the shoulder and spine as measured by active range of motion (ROM) and spine curvature. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Clinical assessment in university setting. PARTICIPANTS: 163 asymptomatic, right hand dominant, young adults; INTERVENTION: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A multivariate canonical correlation was used to identify a shoulder-spine relationship using active ROM assessments. RESULTS: A shoulder-spine relationship was determined using planar assessments and multivariate analyses of these two areas. Measures contributing to this relationship included shoulder flexion, internal rotation, external rotation, and trunk flexion and lumbar lordosis. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that assessment of shoulder ROM should be interpreted with respect to spine region and vice versa, regardless of presenting region of concern, owing to the multivariate shoulder-spine ROM relationship when considering multiple measures of ROM and posture.