ArticlePloS one2026
The effects of cervical spine posture on susceptibility to walking balance perturbations.
Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDegenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is the most common cervical spine disorder encountered in the aging population that commonly presents with increased cervical kyphosis and impaired gait. Thus, the compounding effects of exaggerated head tilt, as a result of cervical deformity, may increase the risk of falling in individuals with DCM. RESEARCH QUESTION: What are the effects of cervical bracing and posture (i.e., kyphosis and lordosis) on outcomes relevant to the control of walking balance?
methodsThis was an experimental study conducted in 15 healthy young adults. We used two discrete mechanical balance challenges designed to elicit walking-related instability. Specifically, participants walked with a series of cervical spine braces while responding to: (i) treadmill-induced slip perturbations to induce rapid reactive responses to unanticipated perturbations and (ii) a reactive lateral stepping as a goal-directed balance challenge. We used two-way repeated measures ANOVAs to determine the effect of bracing condition and balance challenges on (i) anterior-posterior and mediolateral margins of stability (MoSAP and MoSML) and (ii) reaction time and foot placement error.
resultsOur experimental manipulations successfully emulated cervical spine postures common to patient populations. Compared to unperturbed walking, treadmill belt decelerations elicited significantly smaller MoSAP and larger MoSML for all conditions, but elicited negative MoSAP indicative of instability only for braced conditions. Bracing did not increase foot placement errors during lateral reactive stepping compared to unbraced walking. However, only for kyphotic bracing did performance decrease with target distance. SIGNIFICANCE: Individuals prescribed cervical immobilization or presenting with cervical deformities may be less capable of responding to balance challenges that could precipitate a fall in the community. We conclude that treating cervical spine deformities with cervical immobilization may benefit from educational materials and monitoring techniques to mitigate falls risks.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.