The relationship between spino-pelvic alignment and primary dysmenorrhea

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Gynecology
• Radiology

Background:

• Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) affects many women of reproductive age.
• Previous research on PD etiology primarily focused on endocrine factors, neglecting spino-pelvic anatomy.
• The role of sagittal spino-pelvic alignment in PD remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between sagittal spino-pelvic alignment and primary dysmenorrhea.
• To determine if specific spino-pelvic parameters are associated with PD severity.

Main Methods:

• A study included 120 patients with PD and 118 healthy controls.
• Standing full-length posteroanterior plain radiography was used to assess spino-pelvic parameters.
• Pain was evaluated using the visual analog scale (VAS); statistical analysis included ANOVA and Student's t-test.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in pelvic incidence (PI), sacral slope (SS), lumbar lordosis (LL), and thoracic kyphosis (TK) were observed between PD patients and controls (P<0.05).
• In the PD group, PI and SS differed significantly between mild and moderate pain groups (P<0.05).
• A negative correlation was found between pain rating and SS. PD patients predominantly exhibited Roussouly type 2 alignment, while controls showed type 3.

Conclusions:

• Sagittal spino-pelvic alignment is associated with primary dysmenorrhea symptoms.
• Lower sacral slope (SS) and pelvic incidence (PI) angles may contribute to increased pain severity in PD patients.