title: Lumbar scoliosis in postmenopausal women: prevalence and relationship with bone density, age, and body mass index.
abstract: METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of lumbar scoliosis in postmenopausal women aged 50 years and older, and to determine the association of adult lumbar scoliosis with age, osteoporosis, and body mass index (BMI).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Adult scoliosis prevalence has not been clearly determined. In addition, limited data are available on the correlation of adult scoliosis with age, bone mineral density, and BMI.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 380 postmenopausal women aged 50 years and older, who were evaluated with dual-energy radiograph absorptiometry (DXA) scan images. The lumbar curvature magnitude in the coronal plane was measured in DXA images with Cobb's method. Scoliosis was defined by the presence of a curvature 10° or larger. Age and T-score in the lumbar spine and in both femoral necks were recorded, and BMI was calculated. Correlation analysis among the studied variables was performed, as well as a linear regression analysis to determine the effect of femoral neck T-score, spine T-score, age, and BMI as independent predictors of the Cobb angle in the lumbar spine. RESULTS.: The prevalence of lumbar scoliosis was 12.9% (49 cases); 43 cases (11.3%) had lumbar curves 10° or more but less than 20°, and six cases (1.6%) had lumbar curves more than 20°. Age and BMI were independent predictors of the Cobb angle; the femoral neck T-score and the lumbar T-score were not independent predictors of the Cobb angle.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found a 12.9% prevalence of lumbar scoliosis in postmenopausal women aged 50 years and older, most of them with mild curves. Age and BMI are independent predictors of lumbar scoliosis. Bone mineral density (BMD) is not an independent predictor of the magnitude of the curve.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. jurrutia@med.puc.cl
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Urrutia
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Diaz-Ledezma
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Espinosa
authors.forename: Sigurd H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Berven
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015519:Bone Density; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D017698:Postmenopause; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology