The Impact of Lower Lumbar Spine Rotation on Pelvic Parameters and Sagittal Spinal Curvature in Patients with Disc Prolapse (MRI Study)

Preventing degenerative changes and preserving biomechanical stability influenced significantly on pelvic orientation and spinal alignment. This study examines how trunk rotation affects sacral slope and lumbar lordosis in patients with lumbar disc prolapse. Mid-sagittal MRI scans were performed on 30 patients in three different positions: neutral, right rotation, and left rotation. MATLAB was used to obtain the angular measurements of sacral slope and lumbar lordosis, and Pearson's correlation and paired t-tests were used for statistical analysis. When comparing trunk rotation to the neutral position, the results showed a statistically significant increase in both parameters (p < 0.01). All rotational positions showed strong positive correlations between sacral slope and lumbar lordosis (r > 0.8), suggesting that even small trunk rotation changes pelvic parameters. Pelvic tilt and incidence were not evaluated because of the limitations of sagittal imaging. Therefore, to fully assess spinopelvic alignment and improve the clinical relevance of these findings, future research using standing lateral radiographs or coronal MRI is advised.