The relationship between posture and curvature of the cervical spine.

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between posture and curvature of the cervical spine in healthy subjects.

SUBJECTS: The study was composed of 54 healthy students (25 men and 29 women) aged 20-31 yr with a mean age of 24.7 yr.

METHODS: Lateral radiographs were taken of the head and cervical spine of the subjects while standing in a neutral position. Cervical spine posture was quantified by the angle of a reference line, composed of reference points of the upper six cervical vertebrae, with the horizontal axis. The curvature of the cervical spine was classified visually as lordotic, straight or reversed.

RESULTS: A relationship was found between posture and curvature of the cervical spine (p = .006); a more forward posture of the cervical spine was related to a partly reversed curvature; and a more upright posture was related to a lordotic curvature. Moreover, men more often exhibited a straight curvature, and women more often exhibited a partly reversed curvature.

CONCLUSION: The curvature of the cervical spine is related to the subject's posture and gender.