Chest expansion and modified schober measurement values in a healthy, adult population in Antalya

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic, systemic, inflammatory disease with an unknown etiology that affects spinal column, sacroiliac joints and entheses and also pheripheral joints on some patients. Limitations in spinal mobility and chest expansion are the hallmark features of the disease. These clinical findings are also the two of the criteria used for the diagnosis of AS. Despite their great clinical importance, there are only a few studies in literature. The purpose of our study is to define the chest expansion and lumbar mobility measurement values in normal population above 15 years old, in both gender. 275 men, 288 women, 563 persons in total, who were evaluated in the outpatient clinics of Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Department were included in our study. Chest expansions were evaluated in three plans (circumferential by tape measure, AP and transverse by caliper) and also lumbar mobility was evaluated by modified lumbar schober (MLS). Chest expansion assessed by caliper and tape measure in three plans had a wide range in all age groups and both sexes. A reduction was detected in chest expansion by aging. With the 55-64 age group, a decrease was observed in MLS in older patients. Chest expansion measurents were higher in women than men in different plans and different age groups. There was a significant reduction in chest expansion in smokers. The reduction in the smokers was detected only by caliper in young patients, but in all plans in elderly, compared with non-smokers. In our study, chest expansion in all three plans and MLS values were defined for all age groups ang both gender. As a conlusion, it was stated that, measuring the circumferential chest expansion by tape measure is sufficient as it provides the most accurrate results by measuring in all plans.