The influence of spinopelvic morphologies on sagittal spinal alignment: an analysis of incidence angle of inflection points

Abstract

Purpose To elucidate whether specific spinopelvic morphologies affect the subsequent spinal sagittal alignments and determine the alignment patterns.

Methods Whole-spine standing radiographs of 244 patients were analyzed. Sagittal alignment parameters were compared according to the three types of pelvic version: anteverted pelvis (AP), neutral pelvis, and retroverted pelvis (RP), grouped per the amount of pelvic tilt (PT) and the ratio of sacral slope to pelvic incidence (PI). Incidence angles of inflection points (IAIPs) were defined as the angle between a line from the center of the femoral heads through the midpoint of the sacral superior endplate and a line perpendicular to each L1, T1 superior endplate, C2 inferior endplate, and the C1 ring, respectively.

Results C1 incidence equaled to the geometrical sum from the pelvis to the C1 vertebra; it also equaled the sum of the C1 slope and PT (p < 0.001). Moving from the AP group to the RP group, there were progressive increases in PT, PI, and IAIPs and decreases in LL, and SS/PI (p < 0.001). Negative correlation was observed between the pelvic anteversion and the IAIPs, and a significant positive correlation was observed between the pelvic retroversion and the IAIPs.

Conclusion IAIPs are novel PI-relevant radiographic parameters reflecting the relationship between the pelvis and the spinal alignment. An anteverted pelvis requires more lumbar lordosis than pelvic incidence and aligns with low IAIPs, and a retroverted pelvis requires less lumbar lordosis than pelvic incidence and aligns with high IAIPs.

Graphic abstract These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.