A new quantitative kinesiophobia assessment

In this paper we present a new quantitative kinesiophobia assessment that consists of a combination of Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK-DV) questionnaire with posturographic measures calculated by a pressure plate and a wearable mocap system in standing before and after 10 bending forward in open and closed eyes. Sixteen subjects aged between 18 and 65 years old were considered in the clinical pathway for chronic low back pain. A cut-off of TSK-DV > 37 was used to discriminate low back pain subjects with kinesiophobia (TSK-DV > 37) to subjects with low back pain. Our findings, are in line with the previous studies showing that low back pain and not specific low back pain provoking an increase in postural sway amplitude and velocity. From our study emerged that minimal mean velocity in medio-lateral excursion of the pelvis during imposed forward bending and a higher COP excursion in y (anterior-posterior) during standing followed by a higher COP sway path (≥230 mm) with a sway velocity (≥0.0030 m/s) in closed eyes can be considered as a sign of the presence of kinesiophobia.