Comparison of thoracic kyphosis between sedentary and physically active older adults by the flexicurve method

Thoracic hyperkyphosis is one of the most common postural changes, which is defined as an increase of thoracic spine curvature in the sagittal plane. The alterations that occur in the postural control system with age influence functional mobility and result in a lack of balance in older adults. The objective of this study was to compare thoracic kyphosis between physically active and sedentary older adults in order to determine the influence of physical activity on dorsal kyphosis in the elderly. In a cross-sectional study, 40 healthy volunteers of both genders, ranging in age from 60 to 69 years, were randomly divided into a physically active group and a sedentary group and evaluated by the flexicurve method. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and the Student t-test for independent samples were used for analysis. The results showed that physically active older adults presented fewer changes in the curvature of the thoracic spine than sedentary subjects, but the difference was not significant. In conclusion, active and sedentary older adults present similar characteristics in terms of thoracic kyphosis.