The effect of three different angles of the working seat on lumbar spine curvatures and comfort: An observational study

Abstract

Objective

The purpose of this study was to verify the influence of three different seat inclinations for work as measured by comfort and changes in vertebral curvatures for the position of work.

Methods

The kinematic analysis was recorded at the vertebral levels of T5, T10, L3 and S2 to measure the lumbar and thoracic-lumbar angles. The seat allowed adjustments of the angles (0^o, 15^o and 30^o) and the Likert scale was used to assess the subjects’ level of comfort. Each data collection session was performed in a 60-min period. The statistical analysis compared groups through multivariate analysis of variance considering the factors: gender, seat angles and instant. As dependent variable, the comfort level, spine angles were considered.

Results

We included 32 healthy subjects with aged 18–25 years. Male present bigger thoracic-lumbar angles and smaller lumbar angles. Male present more comfort levels. The seat inclination at 30° causes less thoracic-lumbar angle and less comfort, whereas the seat angle at 0^o causes less lumbar angle. There are several and frequent variations in the spine curvatures along a 60-min period and, after 27 min in sitting posture there was a gradual decrease in the comfort level, independent on the angle of seat inclination.

Conclusions

The best inclination of the seat was that maybe it is between 0° and 15°, since the results show that in both analysis, the thoracic-lumbar and lumbar angles, and, comfort level, the inclination of 30° seems to be inadequate.