Correlation of lateral spinal curvature and Conicity index in Thai women and Conicity index in Thai women

Being obesity is a common health problem in women. Obese women have fat deposited at upper body and waist. Due to a large amount of subcutaneous tissue deposit in the upper body and around the waist, the center of gravity had a tendency to fall in front of the lumbar spine, leading to an adjusted body position. This could change the spinal curvature. The purposes of this study were to determine the correlation between spinal curvature, thoracic and lumbar curvature, and Conicity index in overweight and normal weight women. This study also compared the spinal curvature between over weight and normal weight women. Seventy five women aged 30-40 years old participated in this study, 31 women in the overweight group with a body mass index more than 24.99 kg/m2 and 44 in normal weight group with body mass index 18.50 to 24.99 kg/m2. The spinal curvature was measured by using an Inclinometer on the X-ray photograph. The Conicity index was calculated from the value of waist circumference of each participant. The results showed no correlation between Conicity index and thoracic spinal curvature (r=0.003) and lumbar spinal curvature (r=-0.077). There was no significant difference in either thoracic or lumbar spinal curvature between overweight group (mean of thoracic and lumbar curvature = 21.24 ํ, 26.34 ํ, mean of Conicity index = 1.24) and normal weight group (mean of thoracic and lumbar curvature = 21.85º, 27.94 ํ, mean of Conicity index = 1.20). There was no correlation between Conicity index and spinal curvature. Spinal curvature between overweight and normal weight groups showed no significant difference. Therefore, it is interesting to further study whether fat deposit affects the spinal curvature in children and adult who are obese