The relationship between lumbar lordosis and pelvic tilt angle

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between clinical measures of pelvic tilt angle, range of pelvic movement, and the lumbar lordosis category observed in normal, healthy, asymptomatic volunteers. A total of 54 subjects, 38 females (average age 24.7 +/- 3.24 years) and 14 males, (average age 25.77 +/- 5.13 years) were tested. Using methods previously described in the literature, subjects were divided into three groups according to the type of lordosis they exhibited: 1)decreased lordosis, 2) normal lordosis, 3) increased lordosis. Angles of resting, maximal anterior, and maximal posterior pelvic tilt positions were measured using a goniometric technique. A weak correlation was found between resting pelvic tilt position and lumbar category, with a significant difference in resting pelvic tilt between subjects with increased lordosis and those with decreased lordosis. No significant relationship was demonstrated between lumbar category and available total pelvic ROM or pelvic ROM in anterior or posterior direction.