Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A morphological adaptation of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae to lumbar hyperlordosis in young and adult females

  • Original Article
  • Published:
European Spine Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The lumbar shape in females is thought to be unique, compensating for lumbar hyperlordosis. Yet, the morphological adaptation of various vertebral parameters in the thoracic and lumbar spine to this unique posture in young and adult females has only been partially addressed in the literature. Our aim was to investigate the gender association to vertebral shape in the thoracic and lumbar spine as a possible adaptation to lumbar hyperlordosis in young and adult females. A three-dimensional digitizer was used to measure the vertebral body sagittal wedging, relative spinous process thickness, and relative interfacet width at the T1–L5 level. Two hundred and forty complete, non-pathological skeletons of adults and 32 skeletons of young individuals were assessed. Three major results were found to be independent of age and ethnicity: (a) VB sagittal wedging in females was significantly less kyphotic than males from T9 to L2 (T11 excluded) with a cumulative mean difference of 8.8°; (b) females had a significantly relatively thinner lumbar spinous processes and (c) females had a relatively wider superior interfacet distance (T9–T10 and L1–L4) than males. We conclude that the combination of less kyphotic VB wedging in the lower thoracic and upper lumbar vertebrae, relatively greater interspinous space and larger interfacet width in the lumbar spine in females are key architectural elements in the lumbar hyperlordosis in females and may compensate for the bipedal obstetric load during pregnancy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bergenudd H, Nilsson B, Uden A, Willner S (1989) Bone mineral content, gender, body posture, and build in relation to back pain in middle age. Spine 14:577–579

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Dunlop R, Adams A, Hutton W (1984) Disc space narrowing and the lumbar facet joints. J Bone Joint Surg Br 66:706–710

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Lorenz M, Patwardhan A, Vanderby R (1983) Load-bearing characteristics of lumbar facets in normal and surgically altered spinal segments. Spine 8:122–130

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Love T, Fagan A, Fraser R (1999) Degenerative spondylolisthesis: developmental or acquired? J Bone Joint Surg Br 81:670–674

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Masharawi Y, Rothschild B, Dar G, Peleg S, Been E, Robinson D, Hershkovitz I (2004) Facet orientation in the thoraco-lumbar spine: three-dimensional anatomical and biomechanical analysis. Spine 29:1755–1763

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Masharawi Y, Rothschild B, Salame K, Dar G, Peleg S, Hershkovitz I (2005) Facet tropism and interfacet shape in the thoraco-lumbar spine: characterization and biomechanical interpretation. Spine 30:E281–E292

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Masharawi Y, Alperovitch-Najenson D, Dar G, Peleg S, Steinberg N, Rothschild R, Salame K, Hershkovitz I (2007) Lumbar facet orientation in spondylolysis: a skeletal study. Spine 32:E176–E180

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Masharawi Y, Kjaer P, Bendix T, Manniche C, May H, Mirovski Y, Anekshtein Y, Jensen TS, Hershkovitz I (2009) Lumbar facet and interfacet shape variation during growth in boys and girls from the general population: a three years MRI follow-up study. Spine 15:408–412

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Masharawi Y, Dar G, Peleg S, Steinberg N, Alperovitch-Najenson D, Salame K, Hershkovitz I (2007) Lumbar facet anatomy changes in spondylolysis: a comparative skeletal study. Eur Spine J 16:993–999

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Norton B, Sahrmann S, Van Dillen L (2004) Differences in measurements of lumbar curvature related to gender and low back pain. J Orth Sports Phys Ther 34:524–534

    Google Scholar 

  11. Parent S, Labelle H, Skalli W, Latimer B, de Guise J (2002) Morphometric analysis of anatomic scoliotic specimens. Spine 27:2305–2311

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Sanderson P, Fraser R (1996) The Influence of pregnancy on the development of degenerative spondylolisthesis. J Bone Joint Surg 78:951–954

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Scoles P, Latimer B, DigIovanni B, Vargo E, Bauza S, Jellema L (1991) Vertebral alterations in Scheuermann’s kyphosis. Spine 16:509–515

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Tanner JM (1990) Fetus into man: physical growth from conception to maturity, 6th edn. Cambridge, MA, pp 165–171

    Google Scholar 

  15. Taylor J, Twomey L (1984) Sexual dimorphism in human vertebral body shape. J Anat 138:281–286

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Whitcome K, Shapiro L, Lieberman D (2007) Fetal load and the evolution of lumbar lordosis in bipedal hominins. Nature 450:1075–1078

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Youdas J, Garett T, Harmsen W, Suman V, Carey J (1996) Lumbar lordosis and pelvic inclination of asymptomatic adults. Phy Ther 76:1066–1081

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Phyllis Curchack Kornspan for her editorial and secretarial services.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Spinal Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, The Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, University Campus, P.O.B. 39040, 69978, Ramat Aviv, Israel

    Youssef Masharawi

  2. Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, 69978, Ramat Aviv, Israel

    Gali Dar, Smadar Peleg, Nili Steinberg, Bahaa Medlej, Hila May, Janan Abbas & Israel Hershkovitz

  3. Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Studies, Haifa University, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel

    Gali Dar

  4. Zinman College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Wingate Institute, Netanya, Israel

    Nili Steinberg

Authors
  1. Youssef Masharawi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gali Dar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Smadar Peleg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Nili Steinberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Bahaa Medlej
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Hila May
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Janan Abbas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Israel Hershkovitz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Youssef Masharawi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Masharawi, Y., Dar, G., Peleg, S. et al. A morphological adaptation of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae to lumbar hyperlordosis in young and adult females. Eur Spine J 19, 768–773 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-009-1256-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-009-1256-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation