A Wearable System for Detecting Lumbar Hyperlordosis in Ballet Dancers: Design, Development and Feasibility Assessment

Wearable systems can yield crucial information about posture and lumbar spine movements for applications in clinical settings and during sports activities. The knowledge of these parameters may be beneficial in preventing low back pain (LBP), a musculoskeletal disorder with high incidence and relevant socio-economic burden. Pre-professional and professional dancers have a high risk of suffering from LBP due to improper execution of specific movements and positions. In these cases, ballet dancers may assume compensatory positions by increasing lumbar lordosis. Wearable systems may allow the continuous monitoring of posture, thus detecting improper execution of exercises. Here, we propose a textile-based wearable system that offers information to detect lumbar hyperlordosis during ballet dancers' exercises. The system comprises a ballet leotard instrumented with textile-based sensors. The sensors fabrication and the wearable system development are reported. A pilot study revealed that the proposed system may detect compensatory hyperlordosis.