Lumbosacral joint angles in children.

We wished to determine values for the lumbosacral angles in children without spondylolisthesis. Eleven angles were measured on 112 consecutive standing lateral radiographs of children ranging in age from 3 to 18 years. Gender and scoliosis affected only sacral roll and the lumbosacral angle, respectively. Lumbar lordosis, lumbar index, and sacral roll all increased with age. Sagittal rotation and slip angle were negative in children without spondylolisthesis. We recommend that sagittal rotation be used to measure rotation at the lumbosacral joint and that lumbar lordosis be measured using the top of the first and the fifth lumbar vertebra.