title: Introducing a new risk factor for lumbar disc herniation in females : vertical angle of the sacral curvature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the importance of the vertical angle of the sacral curvature (VASC) in lumbar disc herniations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Morphological data derived from lumbar sagittal MRI imaging. The statistical significance of the findings are discussed. The angles of 60 female patients with lumbar disc herniations (LDH) were compared with the 34 female patients without LDH.
  
  
  RESULTS
  128 of the 185 patients met our inclusion criteria. The vertical angle of sacral curvature is statistically significantly bigger in females with lumbar disc herniations when compared to subjects in control group, 28.32 and 25.4, respectively. (p=0.034<0.05). Same difference was not seen in males.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The vertical angle of sagittal sacral curvature may be another risk factor in females with lumbar disc herniations.
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University Medical Faculty, Rize, Turkey.
authors: Ayhan
authors: A
authors: Kanat
authors: Ugur
authors: U
authors: Yazar
authors: Hizir
authors: H
authors: Kazdal
authors: Osman Fikret
authors: OF
authors: Sonmez
keywords: Females; Lumbar disc herniation; Risk factor; Vertical angle of the sacral curvature