Reference Values for Sagittal Clinical Posture Assessment in People Aged 10 to 69 Years

Abstract

Poor posture is a well-known problem in all age groups and can lead to back pain, which in turn can result in high socio-economic costs. Regular assessment of posture can therefore help to identify postural deficits at an early stage in order to take preventive measures and can therefore be an important tool for promoting public health. We measured the posture of 1127 symptom-free subjects aged 10 to 69 years using stereophotogrammetry and determined the sagittal posture parameters flèche cervicale (FC), flèche lombaire (FL), and kyphosis index (KI) as well as the values standardized to the trunk height (FC%, FL%, KI%). FC, FC%, KI, and KI% showed an increase with age in men but not in women, and a difference between the sexes. FL remained largely constant with age, although FL% had significantly greater values in women than men. Postural parameters correlated only moderately or weakly with body mass index. Reference values were determined for different age groups and for both sexes. Since the parameters analyzed can also be determined by simple and non-instrumental methods in medical office, they are suitable for performing preventive checks in daily medical or therapeutic practice.