Joe Is 40 Years Old and 30 Pounds Overweight

question 132

Essay

Joe is 40 years old and 30 pounds overweight. Like many middle-aged men, Joe carries most of this extra weight in his abdomen and jokes with his friends about his "beer gut." During an annual physical, Joe's physician advises him that his spine is developing an abnormal curvature. Why is the curvature of Joe's spine changing, and what is this condition called?

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Definitions:

Iliac Crest

The top border of the ilium, a part of the hip bone, often used as a site for bone marrow and bone grafts.

Gluteus Medius

Muscle located at the back of the iliac crest and stretches downward toward the greater trochanter of the femur.

Greater Trochanter

A prominent bony projection on the proximal (near) part of the femur, serving as a major site for muscle attachment.

Dystrophy

Progressive atrophy or weakening of a part, such as the muscles.