Rev Chir Orthop Reparatrice Appar Mot. 2004 May;90(3):207-14.Cottalorda J1, Bourelle S, Gautheron V, Kohler R.Author information1Equipe d'accueil EA E2S 3062, Laboratoire de Physiologie et Physiopathologie de l'Exercice et du Handicap, Saint-Etienne. AbstractBack pain has become a real public health concern both for adults and children. In general, patients complain of moderate pain. While the topic was long ignored by the scientific community, the number of publications has increased over the last three Years. We reviewed the literature to separate real evidence from speculations. Recognized risk factors for spinal pain are: female gender, poor general status, family history of back pain, particular psychological patterns, time spent sitting watching television, history of spinal trauma, intense physical activity, practicing competition sports, and age (more frequent in adolescents than children). Several recent papers have drawn attention to the role of the weight of the school backpack in children, particularly when its weight exceeds 20% of the child's body weight.

Many children carry heavy backpacks which for some may weigh 30% to 40% of their body weight. Several groups have estimated that the maximum should be 10% of the body weight. It appears that time spent carrying the backpack as well as its weight is an important factor favoring back pain. Backpacks can injury the head or face, as well as the hands, the elbow, the wrist, the shoulder, the foot and the ankle. aota backpack strategiesBack trauma is observed as the sixth most common injury. uniqlo fuzzy backpackThe 'weak point' is the shoulder and not the back. heineken backpack coolerA poorly positioned backpack can modify posture and gait. heineken backpack cooler

Carrying the backpack with two shoulder straps affects posture and gait less than carrying it on one shoulder. The posture of the spine changes when the weight of the backpack increases. This is probably one of the reasons why many parents who consult believe that there is a relationship between the weight of the backpack and scoliosis or kyphosis, observed in many of their children. It is proven that adolescents who suffer from back pain will probably have chronic back pain as adults, but there is not evidence to our knowledge demonstrating a relationship between the development of spinal deviation and the weight of the backpack. Recent studies have been conducted to design backpacks allowing a better weight distribution and comfort. This type of backpack appears to have a limited benefit. Furthermore, the question of mode must not be ignored for children and adolescents. Backpacks with one sack in front and one in back certainly provide better weight distribution but are they acceptable for children and adolescents?

PMID: 15211269 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Publication TypesEnglish AbstractReviewMeSH TermsAdolescentBack Pain/etiology*Back Pain/prevention & controlChildFemaleHumansMaleRisk FactorsSpinal Diseases/etiology*Spinal Diseases/prevention & controlWalkingWeight-Bearing*Full Text SourcesElsevier ScienceMasson (France)MedicalBack Pain - MedlinePlus Health InformationSpine Injuries and Disorders - MedlinePlus Health InformationPlease, wait while we are validating your browserThe IP address used for your Internet connection is part of a subnet that has been blocked from access to PubMed Central. Addresses across the entire subnet were used to download content in bulk, in violation of the terms of the PMC Copyright Notice. Use of PMC is free, but must comply with the terms of the Copyright Notice on the PMC site. For additional information, or to request that your IP address be unblocked, For requests to be unblocked, you must include all of the information in the box above in your message.

Kyphosis may be caused by poor posture during childhood or be the result of abnormally shaped vertebrae or developmental problems with the spine. Your spine extends from your skull to your pelvis. It's made up of 24 individual rectangular-shaped bones called vertebrae, which are stacked on top of one another. The vertebrae are separated by soft pads, or discs, which act as shock absorbers. The vertebrae are held together by tough bands of tissue called ligaments. Together with the spinal muscles, the ligaments give the back its strength. In cases of kyphosis, the middle section of vertebrae, known as the thoracic vertebrae, are curved out of position. Everyone has some amount of curvature in their spine to allow space inside the chest for organs such as the heart and lungs. There is a range of curvature which is considered normal. However, excessive curvature can lead to symptoms. There are several reasons why the vertebrae can be affected in this way. These are discussed below.

Poor posture in childhood, such as slouching, leaning back in chairs and carrying heavy schoolbags, can cause the ligaments and muscles that support the vertebrae to stretch. This can pull the thoracic vertebrae out of their normal position, resulting in kyphosis. Kyphosis caused by poor posture is known as postural kyphosis. Kyphosis can also be caused when the vertebrae don't develop correctly. They can take on a wedged, triangular shape, rather than the normal rectangular, box-like shape. This leads to the vertebrae being out of position and is known as Scheuermann’s kyphosis. In people with Scheuermann's kyphosis, the ligaments surrounding the veterbrae can also be thicker than normal, which may contribute further to the condition. It's not known what disrupts the normal formation of the spine. One idea is that the blood supply to the vertebrae becomes disrupted, affecting the growth of the vertebrae. There also appears to be a genetic link, as the condition occasionally runs in families.