Background: A proper sleep system can affect the spine support in neutral position.\r\nMost of the previous studies in scientific literature have focused on the effects of\r\ncustomary mattresses on the spinal alignment. To keep the spine in optimal alignment,\r\none can use sleep surfaces with different zonal elasticity, the so called custom-made\r\narrangements. The required stiffness of a sleep surface for each individual can be obtained\r\nby changing this arrangement applying the experimental method and modeling.\r\nMethods: In experimental part, the coordinate positions of the markers mounted on\r\nthe spinous processes of the vertebrae of 25 male volunteers were registered in\r\nfrontal plane through the optical tracking method and so the spinal alignment was\r\nobtained in lateral sleep position on soft and firm surfaces and on the best custommade\r\narrangement. Thereupon the p-P8 angles were extracted from these\r\nalignments and then were compared with each other. In modeling part the\r\nanthropometric data of four different types of volunteers were used. And then the\r\nmodels built in BRG.LifeMOD (ver. 2007, Biomechanics Research Group, Inc., USA)\r\nbased on these data and in accordance with the experimental tests, were analyzed.\r\nResults: The one way ANOVA statistical model and the post hoc tests showed a\r\nsignificant difference in the p-P8 angles between soft & custom-made and soft & firm\r\nmattresses at the p = 0.001 level and between firm & soft mattresses at the p = 0.05\r\nlevel. In modeling part, the required stiffness of the sleep surface for four weightdimensional\r\ngroups was acquired quantitatively.\r\nConclusions: The mattress with a custom-made arrangement is a more appropriate\r\nchoice for heavier men with pronounced body contour. After data fitting, it was\r\nobserved that the variations of spinal alignment obtained from both methods have\r\nthe same trend. Observing the amount of required stiffness obtained for the sleep\r\nsurface, can have a significant effect on keeping the spine healthy.
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