How Bolt & MJ experiment reveals spinal secrets

Mohit Khanna in Chandigarh

These are times of dissimilar aspirant-challengers, like PM Narendra Modi accepting cricket hero Virat Kohli’s fitness challenge via video tweets. Neurosurgeons from the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh have tried the same albeit with different legends: King of Pop Michael Jackson and sprinter Usain Bolt. 

The objective in both the cases — Kohli vs PM and MJ vs Bolt — could be the same: health consciousness. Yet, the neurosurgeons have taken it a step forward: how strong or supple a human spinal cord can be, and which part of the body supports a seemingly gravity-defying forward-leaning of MJ. The research, the neurosurgeons say, can offer a new insight into spinal injuries and their treatment. 

Hypothetically, the PGI researchers put Bolt and MJ in a racing event (given MJ’s athletic body structure). They concluded: the winner would be decided through a photo finish! Similarly, Bolt, wearing the dancing shoes of MJ, ‘managed’ to emulate the gravity-defying forward leaning feat, which MJ performed in his concerts in the late 80s.

The study ‘How did Michael Jackson challenge our understanding of spine biomechanics?’ by Nishant S Yagnick, Manjul Tripathi, and Sandeep Mohindra, was published online in the Journal of Neurosurgery this week. The study not only unfolds the riddles of the mysterious bend, it also gave an understanding about the biomechanics that can help clinicians in preventing spinal injuries.

“The Achilles tendon is one of the essential parts of the spinal stability musculature. It should be evaluated in spinal injury cases,” says Dr Sandeep Mohindra, one of the researchers.

Dance and data

The researchers took several rounds of dancing clubs across the country suggesting them about the importance of muscles and tendons. Dr Nishant S Yagnick and his wife Shweta N Yagnick, a trained dancer, say it took them over a year to compile a research data.

Dr Nishant said Shweta has worked for famous choreographers, including Ashley Lobo and Saroj Khan. “She has seen many performers trying to emulate MJ’s forward tilt, but they could manage up to 20 degrees, but a 45-degree tilt was impossible,” says Dr Nishant, who is a spine surgeon in PGI.

“Bolt is a trained sprinter. Experts know he worked on his muscles. Since MJ was a closed personality, no one knows what he did to master the forward-leaning movement. This research has drawn a parallel between MJ and Bolt and also proved that the King of Pop was a very good athlete as well,” says Dr Mohindra.

MD Ranga, senior scientific officer at NIS Patiala, says MJ could manage to do his mesmerizing 45-degree forward tilt due to his strong Achilles tendon. He says the Achilles tendon muscle helps the sprinters in quickly leave the blocks as the race begins. 

MJ’s trick

A specially designed shoe, patented by MJ, supported him to a certain extent from falling down while leaning forward. The researchers said his special shoes had a slot in the heel. The triangular slot could hold a hitch member, which emerged at the time when MJ was going to perform his famous forward tilt.

Dr Manjul Tripathi, another researcher, said he also got hurt while performing the similar move. “Even with a special shoe, the move would not have been possible.”