Reduced Lumbar Lordosis or High Lumbar Kyphosis
A second deformity is reduced lumbar lordosis or even high lumbar kyphosis. Reduced lumbar lordosis does not have to be pathological (there is a lot of variation in back shapes). A high lumbar kyphosis, on the other hand, is seen as an abnormal finding.
This may be caused by the same osteochondrotic defects, which also form the basis of the thoracically localised Scheuermann’s disease. Because of the irregular growth of the vertebral end plates of the vertebrae and the often present Schmorl’s nodes (protrusion of nucleus pulposus material through the end plates in the vertebra), in the upper lumbar region, kyphosis takes place instead of lordosis.
In these patients, the lower lumbar segments L4-L5 and L5-S1 exhibit more lordosis than normal in order to compensate. These shape and posture abnormalities in the lumbar region are mechanically very unfavourable and often lead to back symptoms that are difficult to treat.