The Comparison of Scapular Position in Dominant and Non-Dominant Limbs of Girls with and without Hyperkyphosis Abnormality

Scapula plays an important role in producing smooth and coordinated movement of shoulder girdle. Also, a change in natural scapula position has a direct relationship with some postural abnormalities. Since in dominant limb, there are differences in the ways of environmental nerves such as higher sensory detection threshold, the conduction speed as well as side differences in muscles, the aim of the present study was to compare scapula position (protraction and upward rotation) in dominant and non-dominant sides of female university students with and without hyperkyphosis abnormality. The study method was escriptive and comparative. Subjects were selected by non-random method and they had no history of sport, pain and injury in their shoulder and spine. Then, using Iranian thoracic kyphosis degree norm, subjects were divided into two groups of hyperkyphosis and normal kyphosis (mean age 21±1.05, 21.1±1.32 yr respectively). Scapula protraction and upward rotation degree were calculated using Divta method. The results showed no significant difference in protraction and scapula upward rotation between dominant and non-dominant sides of normal kyphosis group (p=0.09, p=0.19) whereas in hyperkyphosis group, there was a significant difference between thoracic kyphosis degree and the distance of the two scapulas (r=0.37). Also, in this group, a significant difference was observed in scapula protraction between dominant and non-dominant sides (p=0.001).