Knowledge & Health Journal1735-577X4420100404Translation and Rotational Profiles of Lumbar Vertebrae in Flexion-Extension Radiography1610.1234/knh.v4i4.188FAMohammadTaghipour-Darziدانشگاه علوم پزشکی بابل- گروه فیزیوتراپی- استادیار. taghipourm@yahoo.comEsmailEbrahimi-TakamjaniMahyarSalavatiBahramMobiniHajarZekavat20130820Introduction: Due to the dearth of information on lumbar vertebrae translation and rotation in the Iranian population, the present study aimed at investigating the quantitative motion profiles of lumbar spine in the Iranian male population.Methods: A total of 22 healthy volunteer males aged between 21-43 years old participated in this descriptive study. Radiographic variables including vertebral translation and rotation in sagittal plane were calculated through Panjabiُs method. The method proposed from Putto was used for lumbar flexion- extension radiography. Three radiographies were taken in neutral, full flexion and full extension positions. The radiographies scanned, the variables were calculated using CARA software. The descriptive statistics were utilized to describe the variables.Results: The results demonstrated 1.15 mm translation in L1-2 level, 1.58 mm in L2-3 level, 2.4 mm in L3-4 level, 2.80 mm in L4-5 level and 1.18 mm in L5-S1 level. For rotational motion, results showed 10.25º rotations in L1-2 level, 11.83º in L2-3 level, 13.61º in L3-4 level, 17.11º in L4-5 level and 16.26º in L5-S1 level.Conclusion: The results of present study demonstrated average translation less than 3 mm and average rotation less than 20º in lumbar motion segments. These results concord some researchers’ ideas and contradict some others’.