A Study on the Changes in the Lumbar Lordosis, Lumbosacral and Sacral Inclination Angle during Aging

Three parameters (lumbar lordosis, lumbosacral and sacral inclination angle) were measured on 512 normal plain lateral radiographs of lumbosacral spine and the patterns of change during aging were studied. The following results were obtained. 1. The lumbar lordosis angle showed a tendency to increase with age. But a brief decrease was observed after the 6th decade in both sexes, between the 2nd and 3rd decades in males, and between the 3rd and 4th decades in females. The lumbar spines of females were generally more lordotic than those of males. 2. The lumbosacral angle appeared to increase with age. The angle in males showed a decline between the 2nd and 4th decades while the angle in females decreased after the 6th decade. Males usually had greater angles than females. 3. The sacral inclination angle continued to increase until the 6th decade, after which a decrease was noted. The angle in females was generally greater than that in males. These results showed that all three angles varied with age, and the pattern of change differed between male and female.