Analysis of the Alignment of Whole Spine in Automotive Seated and Supine Postures Using an Upright Open MRI System

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to provide the alignment of whole spine in an automotive seated posture by analyzing image data acquired with an upright open MRI system. Five female and three male asymptomatic subjects were scanned in seated and supine postures, and midsagittal images were analyzed in the location of the center of vertebral body and the vertebral angle relative to lower adjacent vertebra from C2 to sacrum. Results showed that 1) females were more likely to have non-lordosis than males, 2) lumbar lordosis was larger for females than males, and sacrum slope was greater for males than females, 3) thoracic kyphosis and T1 slope were greater for the cervical lordotic type than kyphotic type in seated posture.