Longitudinal changes in spinal kyphosis, lordosis, and range of motion in aging populations: a 10-year study.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Longitudinal cohort follow-up study
PubMed 41134349 · doi:10.1007/s00586-025-09386-8
What was done
A 10-year longitudinal cohort study assessed spinal alignment and range of motion (ROM) in 96 healthy adult participants evaluated during 2007–2009 and 2017–2019 as part of an annual health checkup. Radiography and SpinalMouse were used to measure thoracic kyphosis (TK, T1–T12), lumbar lordosis (LL, L1–S1), and spinal inclination angle (SIA) in upright standing and during dynamic flexion/extension.
What was found
Over 10 years, TK (T1–T12) significantly increased from 38.9° ± 10.3° to 41.3° ± 9.9° (p < 0.01), while LL (L1–S1) significantly decreased from 21.8° ± 9.9° to 18.6° ± 11.2° (p < 0.01). SIA increased significantly, indicating a forward-shifted posture. Flexion ROM slightly increased in the lower thoracic spine (T5–T12), whereas extension ROM significantly decreased in the upper thoracic region (T1–T5). Numerical values for SIA and ROM were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
This study provides 10-year longitudinal data quantifying normal spinal alignment changes in aging adults, showing concurrent progression of thoracic kyphosis, loss of lumbar lordosis, and loss of upper thoracic extension.
Limits
The study is limited by a small sample size (n = 96) and selection bias inherent in a healthy health-checkup cohort. Numerical values for SIA and ROM are not provided in the abstract, and clinical outcomes such as falls or pain were not directly assessed.