Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37534454›Full record

ArticleGlobal spine journal2025

The Thoracolumbar Inflection Point in a Population of Asymptomatic Volunteers: A Multi-Ethnic Alignment Normative Study Cohort Study.

Matan Malka, Zeeshan M Sardar, Natalia Czerwonka, Josephine R Coury, Justin L Reyes, Jean-Charles Le Huec, Stephane Bourret, Kazuhiro Hasegawa, Hee-Kit Wong, Gabriel Liu and 4 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Global spine journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Matan MalkaThe Och Spine Hospital, New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.ORCID 0009-0001-1470-3335
Zeeshan M SardarThe Och Spine Hospital, New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Natalia CzerwonkaThe Och Spine Hospital, New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Josephine R CouryThe Och Spine Hospital, New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4511-1172
Justin L ReyesThe Och Spine Hospital, New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
Jean-Charles Le HuecDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology at the Bordeaux University Hospital, Bordeaux, France.
Stephane BourretDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology at the Bordeaux University Hospital, Bordeaux, France.
Kazuhiro HasegawaNiigata Spine Surgery Center, Niigata, Japan.
Hee-Kit WongUniversity Spine Centre, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Gabriel LiuUniversity Spine Centre, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Hwee Weng Dennis HeyUniversity Spine Centre, National University of Singapore, Singapore.ORCID 0000-0002-2012-9835
Hend RiahiDepartment of Radiology, Mohamed Kassab Orthopedic Institute, University of Tunis, La Mannouba, Tunisia.
Michael KellyDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6221-7406
Lawrence G LenkeThe Och Spine Hospital, New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

STUDY

designProspective cohort study.

objectivesTo show population variance in the Inflection Point (IP) and its role in defining maximum Thoracic Kyphosis (TK) and Lumbar Lordosis (LL).

methods468 asymptomatic adult volunteers were included in the Multi-Ethnic Normative Alignment Study (MEANS). To find parameters correlating with IP, the vertebrae and discs were numbered such that C7 was 0, T1 was 1, with T1-T2 disc being 1.5, etc. Statistical analysis was performed by a correlation matrix for IP and the 9 other selected parameters along with linear regressions.

resultsThe overall mean IP was 12.44 approximately corresponding to T12-L1 disc with the median being 12.50, range was T8-L4. The cohort was then stratified by sex and ethnicity, but there was no significant difference in IP between groups. IP in younger subjects was 13 (L1), compared to 12.5 (T12-L1 disc) in older subjects (

conclusionsThe mean IP was at the T12-L1 disc, however IP ranged from T8 to L4. Older subjects tended to have a relatively more cephalad IP. No radiographic variable was found to be a strong predictor of the IP. TK apex was found to have a moderate correlation.

Indexed as

inflection pointlumbar lordosisspinal deformitythoracic kyphosis

Identifiers

PMID37534454
PMCPMC11877584

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.