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Some cervical kyphosis may be necessary for patients to maintain horizontal gaze
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Several factors can predict a patient’s cervical curvature and this can be clinically relevant in thoracolumbar deformity correction, according to a presenter at the EuroSpine Annual Meeting, here.
Vincent Challier, MD, said thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis can have a direct effect on predicting a patient’s cervical curvature. Therefore, he and colleagues created a formula to predict the cervical curvature.
“Validation of the formula revealed error of 1.2° between the predicted cervical curvature and the real cervical curvature,” Challier said.
The retrospective study included 1,905 patients who maintained their horizontal gaze. A stepwise linear regression analysis was the applied.
In discussing the results, Challier noted all patients with a Schwab sagittal vertical axis modifier less than 50 mm and thoracic kyphosis less than 30° were kyphotic.
The researchers found the patient’s lumbar lordosis minus the patient’s thoracic kyphosis was an independent predictor of the patient’s cervical curvature after a regression analysis was performed, Challier noted.
This predictor, he said, can be clinically relevant in thoracolumbar deformity correction.
Reference:
Challier V, et al. Paper #9. Presented at: EuroSpine Annual Meeting; Sept. 2-4, 2015; Copenhagen, Denmark.
Disclosure: Challier reports no relevant financial disclosures.