KŌMØ LIBRARY

POSTURE · SPINE · 6 MIN

The Cone of Economy.

The Cone of Economy offers a simple idea: efficient standing keeps the body within a limited zone with relatively little compensatory effort.

Three things to know
01The concept links global alignment to the muscular effort needed to maintain standing.
02Modern studies have explored it using force platforms, motion capture and electromyography.
03Its use as a quantitative biomarker remains an active research area rather than an established general clinical standard.

An elegant mechanical concept

Jean Dubousset’s model describes the area within which an individual can maintain upright posture with limited compensatory effort. Moving farther from that efficient zone can require more muscular and postural compensation.

From concept to measurement

Research groups have attempted to quantify the idea using centre-of-pressure data, motion analysis and muscle activity. This makes the concept experimentally testable rather than purely descriptive.

A useful distinction

Global posture is not just an image of alignment. It also concerns how much mechanical and neuromuscular effort is required to maintain that alignment.

Established evidenceFactual statements are grounded in the publications listed below.
KŌMØ perspectiveKŌMØ favours a multidimensional, longitudinal reading of mobility.
LimitsThis page is educational and does not replace medical assessment when a change is recent, marked or accompanied by other symptoms.
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