Lordosis - lumbar

Swayback; Arched back; Lordosis - lumbar

Lordosis tends to make the buttocks appear more prominent. Children with hyperlordosis will have a large space underneath the lower back when lying face up on a hard surface.

Some children have marked lordosis, but, most often fixes itself as the child grows. This is called benign juvenile lordosis.

Spondylolisthesis may cause lordosis. In this condition, a bone (vertebra) in the spine slips out of the proper position onto the bone below it. You may be born with this. It can develop after certain sports activities, such as gymnastics. It may develop along with arthritis in the spine.

Much less common causes in children include:

• Achondroplasia, a disorder of bone growth that causes the most common type of dwarfism
• Muscular dystrophy
• Other genetic conditions

Most of the time, lordosis is not treated if the back is flexible. It is not likely to progress or cause problems.

Call your health care provider if you notice that your child has an exaggerated posture or a curve in the back. Your provider must check to see if there is a medical problem.

The provider will do a physical exam. To examine the spine, your child may have to bend forward, to the side, and to lie flat on a table. If the lordotic curve is flexible (when the child bends forward the curve reverses itself), it is generally not a concern. If the curve does not move, medical evaluation and treatment are needed.

Other tests may be needed, particularly if the curve seems "fixed" (not bendable). These may include:

• Lumbosacral spine x-ray
• Other tests to rule out disorders that could be causing the condition
• MRI of the spine
• Laboratory tests