New method for predicting the lumbar lordosis angle in skeletal material.

Reconstructing the lordotic curvature of the lumbar spine in humans is essential for understanding their posture and locomotion. To date there is still no reliable method for predicting the lordotic curvature of disarticulated spines (in the absence of intervertebral disks). This article examines two possible methods for predicting the lordotic curvature of the lumbar spine. The first--the traditional method--is based on the degree of wedging of the vertebral bodies, and the second--the suggested new method--is based on a lateral view of the orientation of the inferior articular processes. We propose a linear regression model for predicting the lordotic curvature of the lumbar spine (lordosis angle) in disarticulated human spines. This model, derived directly from our new method, is a more reliable predictor of the lumbar lordosis angle in disarticulated spines.