Introduction: Chronic non-specific low back pain (CNLBP) represents the top recurrent orthopaedic disorder leading to significant dysfunction and job avoidance that put a major burden on the health care system.

Purpose: To examine the difference in the vertical ground reaction force (GRF) value at the propulsion phase of gait in patients with CNSLBP and healthy subjects.

Methods: Nineteen patients complaining of CNSLBP and nineteen matched healthy volunteers with age (18-40y) were included in this study. The vertical GRF was assessed by the Tekscan pressure walkway system with a pressure mat to detect the vertical component of the ground reaction force at the pre-swing phase of gait.

Results: no statistically significant differences were found in vertical GRF between normal and CNLBP patients groups (p = 0.598).

Conclusion: The CNLBP patients didn't have any apparent kinetic changes expressed by Vertical GRF which indicated alternative substitutions that may affect gait kinematics which need further studies to confirm.

Keywords:

Chronic low back pain, vertical ground reaction force, Tekscan, walkway; propulsion phase.