INTRODUCTION: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) often arise and develop during dentistry studies. The most affected regions are related to the spine. Possible associations between spinal curve parameters and MSDs have not yet been investigated amongst dentistry students. This longitudinal observational study aimed to determine whether spinal curve changes during dentistry studies, analyse the relationship between objective findings and subjectively declared MSDs and compare spinal curve parameters with those published in the literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-three dentistry students answered a questionnaire on MSDs, and were examined using the Spinal Mouse® device at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of their 5-year study. RESULTS: The spinal curve exhibited a gender diversity in the lumbar lordosis angle, sacrum inclination, and thoracolumbar ratio. From the first to fifth study year, we observed an increase in the range of motions in the sagittal and frontal planes, an increase in the maximal extent of right lateral inclination, and a decrease in maximal left lateral inclination. Whole-spine backward inclination increased only in women, and forward sacral inclination decreased. No statistically significant relationships were found between the objective findings and subjectively declared MSDs. CONCLUSIONS: The spinal curve shape differed between men and women and changed during dentistry studies. No objective markers or predictors of MSDs were found amongst the dentistry students. These findings can serve as a benchmark for further studies on the association between MSDs and objective findings.

Department of Dentistry Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové Charles University Hradec Králové Czech Republic

Department of Dentistry University Hospital Hradec Králové Hradec Králové Czech Republic

Department of Medical Biophysics Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové Charles University Hradec Králové Czech Republic

Department of Preventive Medicine Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové Charles University Hradec Králové Czech Republic

Department of Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine 2nd Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague Czech Republic

Department of Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine University Hospital Motol Prague Czech Republic

Institute of Sports Medicine Prague Czech Republic

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