A radiographic study of the effect of hypo- and hyper-lordosis in the lumbar spine concluded that a lordosis angle of between 65-68 degrees can be considered ‘optimal’ in the reduction of degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine. The results of the study should be helpful in the treatment of spinal pain and rehabilitation.
Archival standing radiograph images from a single clinic of 301 adult female and male chiropractic patients aged 4 to 79 were analyzed in a blind study using RadiAnt DICOM viewer software. All the images were scored for the severity of DJD by one experienced clinical investigator to ensure consistency using the Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) criteria—categorizing the results into three groups: 1 and below (no DJD); 2 (mild DJD); 3 (moderate DJD); and 4 (severe DJD). The Cobb angle (CA) was used to measure lumbar lordosis.
In examination of the data, researchers found significant quadratic correlations between the Azari-LeGrande Degenerative Index (ALDI) and the CA values in nearly all study subjects. (No correlation was found in younger men). The correlations were more pronounced in all five spinal motion segments in women under and over the age of 40 than in their male age-counterparts. The findings indicate that too little or too great lordosis can contribute to lumbar spinal degeneration, particularly in women.
Though the effects of lumbar lordosis angles on lower DJD was modest—between 17 and 18 percent in women, and roughly 13 percent in older men—the information is significant because, unlike other contributing factors to DJD, such as genetics, lumbar lordosis can be modified to the optimal degree of between 65 and 68 degrees to reduce the risk of DJD (73 degrees in older men). An increased incidence of DJD was found whenever subjects deviated outside of these optimal weight-bearing parameters, either through hypo— or hyper-lordosis. This information may help prevent, treat, or rehabilitate patients with lower back pain.
Share Now
