Relationship between Spinal Alignment and Glenohumeral Joint Elevation in Kyphotic Elderly Women

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between spine alignment and shoulder elevation in a kyphotic elderly population. Twenty-three consecutive female patients who underwent balloon kyphoplasty for spinal compression fractures without shoulder symptoms were examined (mean age, 76 ± 6.3 years). Thoracic kyphosis angle (TK), lumbar lordosis angle (LL), and pelvic tilt angle (PT) were measured on standing true lateral radiographs of the whole spine. The shoulder active range of motion with or without scapular fixation was measured in the sitting position. The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Shoulder Score was recorded as the functional evaluation. The total elevation angle was 128.9◦ ± 22◦, the glenohumeral angle was 80.7◦ ± 10.9◦, and the UCLA Shoulder Score was 32.4 ± 2.1. The TK was 36.7◦, the LL was −29.1◦, and the PT was 30.5◦. The total elevation angle was significantly negatively correlated with LL. TK and PT were not significantly correlated with any parameter. The total shoulder elevation angle was limited in the kyphotic elderly women in this study, and kyphotic change appeared to interfere with spinal extension and reduced the total elevation arc with no glenohumeral motion deficit. A reduction in total shoulder elevation was negatively correlated with LL.