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Spinal curvature

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

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Within the antero-posterior plane, there are four normal curvatures to the adult spine from superior to inferior:

  • cervical lordosis - convexity faces anteriorly
  • thoracic kyphosis - convexity faces posteriorly
  • lumbar lordosis
  • sacral kyphosis

The primary curvatures of the thorax and sacrum are present at birth. The cervical curvature emerges with the ability to support the head at around the 3rd post-partum month, and the lumbar curvature forms from the time of holding the trunk upright.

Abnormal curvatures of the spine may be congenital e.g. hemivertebrae, or acquired e.g. due to osteoporotic vertebral collapse. The result is either a pathological kyphosis, scoliosis, lordosis or a mixture e.g. kyphoscoliosis.


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