Abstract
BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP) is a common health condition with an estimated prevalence of 42-83% in India. Clinicians usually measure lumbar lordotic angle (LLA) and lumbosacral angle (LSA) in sagittal radiographs even though the normal range of lordosis has not yet been agreed upon. Hence, the radiographic measurement of these angles needs to be re-evaluated. We aimed to study the difference in LLA and LSA in those with and without non-specific acute LBP and to analyze the correlation and association of confounding factors like age, gender, BMI, and pain severity with LLA and LSA. METHODS: LLA and LSA in those with and those without non-specific acute LBP in 200 individuals were recorded and analyzed statistically. RESULTS: In age, gender, and BMI-matched groups, the LSA in the cases group (34.44 ± 5.93) was significantly less than in controls (36.9 ± 6.8) (p = 0.007). LLA in the non-specific acute LBP group (50.51 ± 8.78) and those without non-specific acute LBP (50.05 ± 9.86) was statistically similar (p = 0.727). LSA was significantly less in patients than in healthy subjects. Both LLA and LSA were not associated withback pain and showed a weak or very weak correlation with age, gender, BMI, and severity of pain in both groups. CONCLUSION: Lumbar lordosis didn't show any association or correlation with age, gender, BMI, and VAS in non-specific acute LBP patients. Hence, measuring LSA and LLA in sagittal radiographs does not provide any additional information regarding the cause of pain in non-specific acute LBP patients.