title: Relationship between spinal morphology and function and adolescent non-specific back pain: A cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-specific back pain has become a public health problem affecting adolescent health.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationships between abnormalities in spinal morphology and non-specific back pain among adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Junior and senior high schools.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were screened using a questionnaire regarding back pain. Students in the pain group (n= 273, 121 boys and 152 girls) reported experiencing upper and/or lower back pain within the previous month, and those who did not report pain were assigned to the group without pain (n= 127, 63 boys and 64 girls). Participants who had experienced acute upper and/or lower back injuries within the previous month or received a definitive diagnose of disease were excluded.
  
  
  METHODS
  The SpinalMouse® was used to measure the thoracic kyphosis angle (TKA), lumbar lordosis angle (LLA), sacrum/hip angle (SA), and incline angle (INA) in both the standing position and sitting position. The SpinalMouse® also was used to measure the sacral, thoracic, and lumbar range of motion (ROM) in the fully flexed position and fully extended position in the sagittal plane. The thoracic and lumbar ROM in left/right lateral flexion was recorded. The Matthiass test was used to assess changes in the measured angles upon loading.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among junior high school students, 47.0% of boys and 53% of girls had an abnormal TKA. Among senior high school students, 52.6% of boys and 46.99% of girls had an abnormal TKA. The incidence of LLA abnormality was significantly higher among junior high boys than girls (p< 0.05), as was the incidence of hypolordosis (p< 0.05). Significantly fewer senior high boys than girls had a normal LLA value (p< 0.05). An excessive TKA (p< 0.05, odds ratio = 1.236) and limited lumbar ROM (p< 0.01, odds ratio = 0.975) were correlated with back pain in adolescents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidences of TKA and LLA abnormality are high among Chinese adolescents, and an excessive TKA and insufficient total lumbar ROM may be risk factors for non-specific back pain in adolescents.
authors.affiliation: China Institute of Sport Science, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: China Institute of Sport Science, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Chongmin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Education Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Guangxi College of Sports and Physical Education, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: China Institute of Sport Science, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007738:Kyphosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008141:Lordosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D008297:Male; D011187:Posture; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012016:Reference Values; D013131:Spine / Q000002:abnormalities*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Adolescence; SpinalMouse; lumbar lordosis angle; non-specific back pain; spinal function; spinal morphology; thoracic kyphosis angle