Spine alignment in men during lateral sleep position: experimental study and modeling

Background: A proper sleep system can affect the spine support in neutral position. Most of the previous studies in scientific literature have focused on the effects of customary mattresses on the spinal alignment. To keep the spine in optimal alignment, one can use sleep surfaces with different zonal elasticity, the so called custom-made arrangements. The required stiffness of a sleep surface for each individual can be obtained by changing this arrangement applying the experimental method and modeling. Methods: In experimental part, the coordinate positions of the markers mounted on the spinous processes of the vertebrae of 25 male volunteers were registered in frontal plane through the optical tracking method and so the spinal alignment was obtained in lateral sleep position on soft and firm surfaces and on the best custom-made arrangement. Thereupon the p-P8 angles were extracted from these alignments and then were compared with each other. In modeling part the anthropometric data of four different types of volunteers were used. And then the models built in BRG. LifeMOD (ver. 2007, Biomechanics Research Group, Inc., USA) based on these data and in accordance with the experimental tests, were analyzed. Results: The one way ANOVA statistical model and the post hoc tests showed a significant difference in the p-P8 angles between soft & custom-made and soft & firm mattresses at the p = 0.001 level and between firm & soft mattresses at the p = 0.05 level. In modeling part, the required stiffness of the sleep surface for four weight-dimensional groups was acquired quantitatively. Conclusions: The mattress with a custom-made arrangement is a more appropriate choice for heavier men with pronounced body contour. After data fitting, it was observed that the variations of spinal alignment obtained from both methods have the same trend. Observing the amount of required stiffness obtained for the sleep surface, can have a significant effect on keeping the spine healthy.