Investigation of lumbar lordosis angle and sacral slope angle during standing and trunk extension in ballet dancers

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of lumbar lordosis angle and sacral slope angle during trunk extension in ballet dancers. The participants were 13 healthy female ballet dancers (ballet group) and 15 women with no ballet experience (non-ballet group). Lumbar lordosis and sacral slope angle in standing and maximum trunk extension were measured using lateral X-ray images of the lumbar spine. The amount of change in lumbar lordosis and sacral slope angle between standing and maximum trunk extension were calculated and compared between the two groups.

The lumbar lordosis angle in static standing of the ballet group was lower than that of the non-ballet group. The ballet group showed a higher amount of change in lumbar lordosis angle and a lower amount of change in sacral slope angle than those of the non-ballet group. The extent of lumbar lordosis is suggested to increase from the standing to the maximum trunk extension position, which is a characteristic of the spinal motion of ballet dancers.