Measurement of lumbar lordosis as a component of clinical gait analysis

A new method is described for the measurement, during clinical gait analysis, of the angle of lumbar lordosis, defined as the difference in the sagittal plane angle between the two ends of the lumbar curve. The use of additional markers mounted directly on the skin of the back was found to be unsatisfactory. The use of skin-mounted rigs, at the two ends of the lumbar curve, was sufficiently accurate and convenient for routine adoption in a clinical gait analysis setting. Reliability studies showed good testretest agreement for both static and dynamic measurements of lumbar lordosis.