Evaluation of Lumbar Lordosis

Fernand, Robert; Fox, Dov

doi:10.1097/00007632-198511000-00003

Cited by 116 publications

(16 citation statements)

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“…2 We therefore advanced the hypothesis that men possess evolved mate preferences for lumbar curvature in women. Because the theoretically optimal degree of vertebral wedging for women is one that minimizes the net fitness threats posed by hypolordosis and hyperlordosis, we hypothesized that men should possess an evolved preference for women with an angle of lumbar curvature maximally distant from these countervailing threats, which orthopedic medical literature indicates is approximately 45.5°(see Fernand & Fox, 1985).…”

Section: Women's Lumbar Curvature and Male Mating Psychologymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lumbar curvature: a previously undiscovered standard of attractiveness

Lewis

Russell

Al-Shawaf

et al. 2015

Evolution and Human Behavior

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This paper reports independent studies supporting the proposal that human standards of attractiveness reflect the output of psychological adaptations to detect fitness-relevant traits. We tested novel a priori hypotheses based on an adaptive problem uniquely faced by ancestral hominin females: a forward-shifted center of mass during pregnancy. The hominin female spine possesses evolved morphology to deal with this adaptive challenge: wedging in the third-to-last lumbar vertebra. Among ancestral women, vertebral wedging would have minimized the net fitness threats posed by hypolordosis and hyperlordosis, thereby creating selective pressures on men to prefer such women as mates. On this basis, we hypothesized that men possess evolved mate preferences for women with this theoretically optimal angle of lumbar curvature. In Study 1, as hypothesized, men's attraction toward women increased as women's lumbar curvature approached this angle. However, vertebral wedging and buttock mass can both influence lumbar curvature. Study 2 thus employed a forced-choice paradigm in which men selected the most attractive woman among models exhibiting the same lumbar curvature, but for different morphological reasons. Men again tended to prefer women exhibiting cues to a degree of vertebral wedging closer to optimum. This included preferring women whose lumbar curvature specifically reflected vertebral wedging rather than buttock mass. These findings reveal novel, theoretically anchored, and previously undiscovered standards of attractiveness.

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Section: Women's Lumbar Curvature and Male Mating Psychologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2). These stimuli captured the naturally occurring range of lumbar curvature in the population (stimuli range: 14-69°; see Fernand & Fox, 1985). The targets' lumbar curvature was the sole variable that we manipulated.…”

Section: Photographic Stimuli and Attractive Ratingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lumbar curvature: a previously undiscovered standard of attractiveness

Lewis

Russell

Al-Shawaf

et al. 2015

Evolution and Human Behavior

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“…Little, however, is known of the SI variation in human populations. Hanson et al (1998), measuring the depth of the lumbosacral curvature (rather than the angle), found significantly higher lumbosacral curvature in African Americans compared with European Americans, whereas Fernand and Fox (1985) and Monser et al (1989) did not notice any ethnic origin differences in the lumbosacral angle.…”

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confidence: 90%

“…The association of sex, ethnicity, and age with sacral inclination is still unclear (Fernand and Fox, 1985;Monser et al, 1989;Amonoo-Kuofi, 1992;Legaye et al, 1998;Hanson et al, 2002;Hammerberg and Wood, 2003). Amonoo-Kuofi (1992) claimed that the sacrum in females is significantly more horizontally oriented than in males (31.98 vs. 41.38).…”

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confidence: 99%

Orientation of the human sacrum: Anthropological perspectives and methodological approaches

Peleg

Dar

Medlej

et al. 2007

American J Phys Anthropol

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Discovering the nature of sacral orientation is of considerable anthropological importance. Therefore, this study aims at presenting a new anthropologically based definition for sacral anatomical orientation (SAO) angle, establishing standards of SAO for human population; examining the relationship between pelvic incidence (PI) and SAO; and associating SAO with demographic parameters. The study population consisted of 424 adult and 14 sub-adult (13-18 years, for SAO only) pelvises. Sacral orientation was measured using two different definitions: a) SAO is the angle created between the intersection of a line running parallel to the superior surface of the sacrum and a line running between the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) and the anterior-superior edge of the symphysis pubis; b) PI is the angle created between the perpendicular to the sacral plate at its midpoint and the line connecting this point to the middle of the axis of the acetabulum. SAO was measured using a specially designed mechanical measurement tool and a 3D digitizer. PI was measured via the 3D digitizer. The methods developed by us for measuring SAO and PI in skeletal material are valid and reliable. SAO and PI measures were highly correlated (r = -0.824, P < 0.001). The average SAO was 49.01 degrees (SD = 10.16), and the average PI 54.08 degrees (SD = 12.64). SAO was independent of ethnicity and sex, yet age dependent. This study establishes a methodology for estimating SAO and PI in skeletal material and furnishes the anthropological milieu with base line data regarding these parameters. Future studies in human evolution can greatly benefit from this study.

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“…Lumbar lordosis displays a broad range of normal values depending on the anthropometric traits of the measured individual. The curve increases with age [1,10,19,20,24,27,41,44,46,48], body mass [21,22,38,39,45] and physical activity [3,21,48]. Women have increased lordosis in comparison to men [1, 10, 11, 18, 20-22, 28, 39, 41, 47].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lumbar lordosis in osteoporosis and in osteoarthritis

et al. 2008

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The curvature of the lumbar spine and the risk of developing either osteoporosis (OP) or osteoarthritis (OA) are influenced by many common factors. The aim of this study is to determine whether lumbar lordosis is different between patients with either disease and healthy persons. A crosssectional, blinded, controlled design was implemented. One hundred and twelve postmenopausal women were evaluated for bone mineral density as well as undergoing spinal radiography. Lordosis measurement was performed with Cobb's method. The sample was divided in four groups: patients with OP (n = 34, L1-L5 = 40.7°, L1-S1 = 54.1°), patients with OA (n = 29, L1-L5 = 38°, L1-S1 = 52.3°), patients with both diseases (n = 20, L1-L5 = 41.8°, L1-S1 = 52.3°) and controls (n = 29, L1-L5 = 38.6°, L1-S1 = 51.8°). For all participants age, height, weight, body mass index, physical activity level and basal metabolic rate were measured and recorded. The results revealed that although the four groups have significant constitutional differences, lumbar lordosis was comparable between them. The reasons for the lack of association are discussed.

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Evaluation of Lumbar Lordosis

Cited by 116 publications

References 0 publications

Lumbar curvature: a previously undiscovered standard of attractiveness

Lumbar curvature: a previously undiscovered standard of attractiveness

Orientation of the human sacrum: Anthropological perspectives and methodological approaches

Lumbar lordosis in osteoporosis and in osteoarthritis

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