The seventh cervical vertebra is an appropriate landmark for thoracic kyphosis measures using distance from the wall.
Arpassanan Wiyanad, Sugalya Amatachaya, Pipatana Amatachaya and 4 others
PMID 37584052WHAT IT FOUND
Measuring distance from the wall at the C7 vertebra is more reliable than at the occiput.
It correlates better with spinal angle and has less error between raters. Use C7 for consistent screening of thoracic kyphosis.
Key findings
01Distance from the wall measured at C7 showed stronger correlation with radiologic spinal angles than measurements taken at the occiput.
02Inter-rater reliability for C7 measurements was higher than for occiput measurements, with less variation between different therapists.
03Measurements at C7 were consistently longer than at the occiput by about 0.8 cm, which was larger than the measurement error.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was relatively small (43 for validity, 17 for reliability). Participants were not recruited in proportion to the age groups typically at risk for hyperkyphosis due to COVID-19 restrictions. KMD measurements were taken in a single visit, while X-rays were scheduled within seven days, which could affect correlation if posture changed between visits. The study did not account for factors like the apex of hyperkyphosis or bone morphology, which may influence the relationship between distance and spinal angle.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume C7 measurements are interchangeable with occiput measurements. C7 distances are consistently longer by about 0.8 cm, so switching landmarks between baseline and follow-up will falsely suggest a change in posture.