Spinopelvic parameters in patients with lumbar degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis, and failed back syndrome: Comparison vis-à-vis normal asymptomatic population and treatment implications

BACKGROUND: Most of the literature on role of spinopelvic parameters in various lumbar spine pathologies has been based on studies done on Caucasian population. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The present study attempts to establish a database of measurements of the sagittal profile of spine in asymptomatic Indian population and their comparison with subjects having various lumbar spine pathologies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a prospective case control study at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi in which we enrolled 109 patients and 22 healthy asymptomatic subjects in 2 years from 2015 to 2017. All patients underwent standing lateral radiographs of the pelvis and the entire spine and various spino-pelvic parameters were measured using Surgimap software. RESULTS: The mean Pelvic incidence (PI) in the asymptomatic individuals was 49.29 ± 5.95° which was significantly lower when compared with patients of chronic low backache (53.96 ± 9.47, P-<0.001), lumbar listhesis (59.4 ± 21.33, P-<0.001) and failed back surgery syndrome (56.7 ± 8.21, P-<0.001). The mean Pelvic Tilt (PT) in healthy subjects was 14.3±4.08° which was significantly lower when compared with patients of lumbar listhesis (23.35 ± 14.03, P-<0.001) and failed back surgery syndrome (22.8 ± 8.09, P-<0.001). Sacral slope (SS) and sagittal vertical axis (SVA) offset did not show any statistically significant difference. The mean Lumbar lordosis (LL) measured in healthy individuals was 42.5 ± 7.89° which was significantly lower when compared with patients of lumbar listhesis (46.24 ± 19.24, P-0.04) and failed back surgery syndrome (45.12 ± 6.87, P-0.05). CONCLUSION: PT and PI showed statistically significant difference in subjects having lumbar spondylolisthesis and failed back surgery syndrome as compared to healthy asymptomatic subjects.