Comparison of Spinal Curvatures in the Sagittal Plane, as Well as Body Height and Mass in Polish Children and Adolescents Examined in the Late 1950s and in the Early 2000s

Abstract

BackgroundHumans are exposed to various stimuli which lead to somatic modifications and changes in body posture, negatively affecting many of its characteristics. The purpose of this study was to assess significant alterations which occurred in selected morphological features and spinal curvatures in children and adolescents over a period of 40 years.Material/MethodsThe total of 7041 subjects, aged 4–18 years (mean age 11.3 years) were included in the study, which was designed to compare measurements performed in year 1959 (Group 1, n=3235 individuals) and in year 2003 (Group 2, n=3806 individuals). The children were examined for body height, body mass, as well as thoracic and lumbar curvatures. In 1959, the measurements were carried out using a spherodorsimeter, while in 2003, the CQ System photogrammetry was used, producing corresponding results. The Mann-Whitney U test and the Student’s t-test were used for statistical analysis.ResultsThe findings showed a significant decrease in the angle of lumbar lordosis and in sacral inclination as well as an increase in body height and mass, particularly in prepubertal children. On the other hand, the angle of thoracic kyphosis and the partial angles of physiological spinal curvatures changed only to a small degree over the 40-year period.ConclusionsThis study provides evidence related to changes which occurred during the relevant period of over 40 years, namely a decrease in both the angle of lumbar lordosis and the sacral inclination angle, as well as an increase in body height and mass. These changes should be taken into consideration in selecting norms and standards applied in healthcare services, and the findings suggest it is necessary to regularly update such standards.

Patients with Modic type 2 change have a severe radiographic representation in the process of lumbar degeneration: a retrospective imaging study

“…This balance formed by the interaction between the spine and the pelvic directly affects the mechanical properties of the intervertebral disc and its adjacent bone and soft tissue [11]. Once the sagittal lines of gravity change, the spinopelvic balance will be broken and the human body also will need an increase in energy consumption without external support accordingly [12]. Therefore, the sagittal imbalance may be a potential contributing factor for the development of lumbar degenerative diseases.…”

The Incidence of Body Posture Abnormalities in Relation to the Segmental Body Composition in Early School-Aged Children

“…However, this period overlaps the beginning of education [ 1 , 3 , 7 , 9 , 10 ]. An active preschooler turns into a student who leads a sedentary lifestyle and spends a lot of time at school, at a desk, in front of a computer monitor, instead of engaging in outdoor PA. All of those factors contribute to the emergence of overweight and obesity, which in turn cause serious posture defects in children [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 33 ]. The conducted body composition studies allowed for the assessment of the symmetry of the distribution of fat and lean mass in early school-age children.…”

“…One of the risk factors for poor posture is excess body weight. However, the authors most often show this dependence using the BMI index; however, they do not associate it with muscle mass, which is possible only in the case of the use of a segment body rock, which allows the assessment of the distribution of muscle mass and related to the occurrence of abnormalities and compensation in body posture [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ]. Children with excess FM suffer from defects in the spine, of the shoulder girdle, and weakening of the abdominal muscles or lower limbs.…”

Mobile Applications for Assessing Human Posture: A Systematic Literature Review

“…The human spine is adapted to the upright position and is characterized by the presence of physiological curvatures called the thoracic kyphosis (from 20 • to 40 • ) [18], cervical lordosis (from 10 • to 30 • ) [19], and lumbar lordosis (from 34 • to 42 • ) [20] that help maintain a stable posture [21,22]. When the human body is affected by internal and external overloads, changes in spine alignment occur [23].…”