2021 Volume 36 Issue 4 Pages 552-559
Objective: We studied the standing posterior-anterior (PA) position recommended by the spinal checkup guidelines using lumbar X-ray in the supine anterior-posterior (AP) position AP.
We believed that compared to the supine AP image, the standing lumbar spine image had tilted to the left and right; hence, we examined its usefulness.
Next, we aimed to combine the gradation-processed thoracic and lumbar images to evaluate coronal spinal alignment.
Methods: The study included 60 patients with mild scoliosis with a Cobb angle of 3º or more on standing lumbar X-ray.
We measured and compared the Lumbar Spine Cobb Angle (LSCA) using findings in both standing and supine positions.
Next, from the combined spinal images, we classified the deformity into three types of curve patterns: single curve (SC), double curve (DC), and triple curve (TC); we further investigated the relationship between coronal spinal alignment and standing LSCA.
Results: The LSCA in the standing position was 6.5º, which was significantly higher than that in the supine position of 3.0º.
The relationship between the three curve patterns and the standing LSCA for DC, TC, and SC were 6.9º, 9.2º, and 3.8º, respectively; the former two are significantly higher than that for SC indicating the progression for spinal alignment deformity.
Conclusions: Lumbar X-ray in the standing PA position is useful.
The progression of mild scoliosis (increased lumbar spine Cobb angle) was significantly involved in the deformity of the upper vertebral body, suggesting an imbalance in spinal alignment.
