Does side-to-side difference of leg alignment affect degenerative lumbar scoliosis in patients with knee osteoarthritis? A radiographic study on Knee-Spine Syndrome in the coronal plane

A radiographic study on Knee-Spine Syndrome in the coronal plane a, Harato, K; Otani, T; Yoshida, H. a Department of Orthopedic Surgery, IUHW Mita Hospital, Tokyo, Japan, b Department of Sports Clinic, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan c Department of Orthopedic Surgery, NHO Tochigi Hospital, Utsunomiya, Japan, [email protected] Introduction Clinically, back pain is present in 54.6 % of patients with knee osteoarthritis, and is more common than in normal population [1]. Furthermore, back pain appears to be associated with the decrease of lumbar lordosis, progression of degenerative scoliosis, and progression of rotational deformity [2]. Although it has been demonstrated that back pain and the decrease of lumbar lordosis are related to knee flexion contracture, the relationship between asymmetry of the leg alignment and the lumbar spine in the coronal plane has not been investigated on plain radiographs. Our purpose was to investigate the relationship between lumbar scoliosis and leg alignment in patients with unilateral knee osteoarthritis.