Which Method Is Accurate When Using the Flexible Ruler to Measure the Lumbar Curvature Angle? Deep Pint or mid Point of Arch?

Abstract

Abstract: Flexible ruler (Flexicurve) is used to determine the degree of thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis. This is done by the use of =4 Arctang 2H/L equation to convert the collected data to degree. In the equation the L letter is the length of two obtained spinous process to the nearest millimeter. The length of a perpendicular line (H) drawn from the L to the curve called H. There are two methods when using the flexible ruler to measure the degree of lumbar lordosis. The first method uses the midpoint of L line to the curve as H value. The second method uses the deep point (deepest distance) between the curve and the L line as H value. It seems there is a difference between these tows methods of measurement when we are dealing with the lumbar curvature angle. This study attempts to verify these differences if there is any. Hence this study is attempts to see which of these two methods is closed to X-ray method of lumbar lordosis measurement. Ten patients with low back pain (LBP) used as a subject. The subjects had to do an X-ray on their lumbar spine as it was requested by their physiotherapist. Then their lumbar lordosis was measured with the two methods of flexible ruler. Using the Repeated Measure ANOVA, the data was analyzed and the outcome revealed a meaningful difference between three methods of lordosis measurements. This study showed that the two methods of flexible ruler measurements (mid pint and deep point as H value) are statistically different from each other. Hence it revealed that the deep point method is closed to X-ray method of lordosis measurements. Key words: Lordosis Flexible ruler Mid point Deep point