The effect of posture on airflow distribution, airway geometry and air velocity in healthy subjects

Background: Gravity, and thus body position, can affect the regional distribution of lung ventilation and blood flow. Therefore, body positioning is a potential tool to improve regional ventilation, thereby possibly enhancing the effect of respiratory physiotherapy interventions. In this proof-of-concept study, functional respiratory imaging (FRI) was used to objectively assess effects of body position on regional airflow distribution in the lungs.

Methods: Five healthy volunteers were recruited. The participants were asked during FRI first to lie in supine position, afterwards in standardized right lateral position.

Results: In right lateral position there was significantly more regional ventilation also described as Imaging Airflow Distribution in the right lung than in the left lung (P < 0.001). Air velocity was significantly higher in the left lung (P < 0.05). In right lateral position there was significantly more airflow distribution in the right lung than in the left lung (P < 0.001). Significant changes were observed in airway geometry resulting in a decrease in imaged airway volume (P = 0.024) and a higher imaged airway resistance (P = 0.029) in the dependent lung. In general, the effect of right lateral position caused a significant increase in regional ventilation (P < 0.001) in the dependent lung when compared with the supine position.

Conclusions: Changing body position leads to significant changes in regional lung ventilation, objectively assessed by FRI The volume based on the imaging parameters in the dependent lung is smaller in the lateral position than in the supine position. In right lateral decubitus position, airflow distribution is greater in dependent lung compared to the nondependent lung.

Trial registration: The trial has been submitted to www.

Clinicaltrials: gov with identification number NCT01893697 on 07/02/2013.