Assessment of Spinal Stability

Neuromuscular Neutral Zones in Humans: A New Method to Assess Spinal Stability

Status

Completed

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT01060358

Enrollment

Registered

2010-02-02

Start date

2009-08-31

Completion date

2011-11-30

Last updated

2013-02-07

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Low Back Pain, Spine Stability

Keywords

lumbar spine, low back pain

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to verify the existence of neuromuscular neutral zones(NNZs) in humans, and develop non-invasive techniques to measure intervertebral kinematics of the lumbar spine. The results will be used to accurately quantify NNZs in humans, and provide a foundation for clinical trials on low back pain patients using this methodology.

Interventions

PROCEDUREmethod (non-surgical) to measure neuromuscular neutral zones

Study design

Observational model

CASE_ONLY

Time perspective

CROSS_SECTIONAL

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

21 Years to 45 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

* 21-45 years of age - typical working age in physically demanding jobs * no history of low back injury or musculoskeletal disorder in the past one year * any activity history: sedentary, active, or non-athletic, and 4) any ethnic background or race * body mass index score less than 30

Exclusion criteria

* Younger than 21 or older than 45 years old (range not relevant to majority of physical labor force) * previous injury, disorder, or illness related to the low back * professional athletes * professional workers engaged in physical labor (e.g., roofers, loaders/unloaders in warehouses, tile/concrete layers, etc.) * pregnancy

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
neuromuscular neutral zones	one year

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026