On radiographic imaging a patient has a pelvic angle that is angled 50 degrees anteriorly from the horizontal with the patient in standing. What effect would this MOST likely have on the patient's standing posture?

• A. The patient would exhibit normal posture
• B. The patient would have an increased lumbar lordotic curve
• C. The patient would have a decreased lumbar lordotic curve
• D. The patient would have a posteriorly rotated pelvis

Answer: (B)

An anterior tilt of the pelvis lengthens the front of the body and rotates the pelvis forward. In standing, this forward rotation drives the lumbar spine to increase its natural inward curve to keep the head over the feet and maintain balance. So a pelvic angle angled 50 degrees anteriorly would lead to an increased lumbar lordotic curve. The other options don’t fit because a forward pelvic tilt does not produce a normal posture, nor a decreased lordosis, and it’s the opposite of a posteriorly rotated pelvis.