Abstract
Aims
The aims of the study were to determine the differences in spinopelvic mobility between a cohort of hip OA patients and a control group for the 1) standing to relaxed-seated and 2) standing to deep-seated task.
Methods
A cohort of 40 patients with end-stage hip OA and a control group of 40 subjects, matched for age, gender and BMI were prospectively studied. Clinical data and lateral view radiographs in different positions were assessed. Sagittal spinopelvic mobility was calculated as the change when moving from the standing to relaxed-seated and standing to deep-seated positions for the lumbar lordosis angle, pelvic tilt and pelvic-femoral angle.
Results
When moving from the standing to sitting position, hip OA patients demonstrated less hip flexion (52±18 vs. 69±11, p<0.001), an increased posterior pelvic tilt (23±13 vs. 12±9, p<0.001) and more flexion of the lumbar spine (22±15 vs. 14±11, p=0.01).
Similarly, when moving from the standing to deep-seated position, hip OA patients demonstrated also less hip flexion (64±21 vs. 84±18, p<0.001), accompanied by a posterior and not an anterior pelvic tilt as in the control group (10±16 vs. −3±17, p<0.001). No difference could be found for lumbar spine flexion (40±15 vs. 43±13, p=0.28).
The percentage of subjects with stiff spinopelvic mobility was significantly lower in the patient group (15% vs 48%; p=0.002) and there was a trend towards a higher percentage in spinopelvic hypermobility in patients (20% vs 2%; p=0.08).
Conclusions
Decreased hip flexion due to OA leads to an increased posterior pelvic tilt when taking a relaxed-seated position. Less than 10° of posterior pelvic tilt from the standing to relaxed seated position (spinopelvic ‘stiffness’) is more frequent in controls without hip OA and results from hip mobility and not from stiffness of the lumbar spine.
