Lumbar lordosis and sacral slope in lumbar spinal stenosis: standard values and measurement accuracy.
METHODS
Radiological study.


OBJECTIVE
To asses standard values, intra- and interobserver reliability and reproducibility of sacral slope (SS) and lumbar lordosis (LL) and the correlation of these parameters in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS).


METHODS
Anteroposterior and lateral X-rays of the lumbar spine of 102 patients with LSS were included in this retrospective, radiologic study. Measurements of SS and LL were carried out by five examiners. Intraobserver correlation and correlation between LL and SS were calculated with Pearson's r linear correlation coefficient and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated for inter- and intraobserver reliability. In addition, patients were examined in subgroups with respect to previous surgery and the current therapy.


RESULTS
Lumbar lordosis averaged 45.6° (range 2.5°-74.9°; SD 14.2°), intraobserver correlation was between Pearson r = 0.93 and 0.98. The measurement of SS averaged 35.3° (range 13.8°-66.9°; SD 9.6°), intraobserver correlation was between Pearson r = 0.89 and 0.96. Intraobserver reliability ranged from 0.966 to 0.992 ICC in LL measurements and 0.944-0.983 ICC in SS measurements. There was an interobserver reliability ICC of 0.944 in LL and 0.990 in SS. Correlation between LL and SS averaged r = 0.79. No statistically significant differences were observed between the analyzed subgroups.


CONCLUSIONS
Manual measurement of LL and SS in patients with LSS on lateral radiographs is easily performed with excellent intra- and interobserver reliability. Correlation between LL and SS is very high. Differences between patients with and without previous decompression were not statistically significant.
Department of Anatomy I, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
J
J
Bredow
J
J
Oppermann
M J
MJ
Scheyerer
K
K
Gundlfinger
W F
WF
Neiss
S
S
Budde
T
T
Floerkemeier
P
P
Eysel
F
F
Beyer
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008141:Lordosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011859:Radiography; D011871:Radiology / Q000592:standards*; D012015:Reference Standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012447:Sacrum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*