Final answer:
Hyperkyphosis is an excessive posterior curvature of the thoracic spine, often due to conditions like osteoporosis. Also known as humpback or hunchback, it is characterized by a pronounced curve that can be exacerbated by factors such as developmental anomalies, pathological changes, or obesity. It is one disorder among others like lordosis and scoliosis that affect spinal curvature.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hyperkyphosis, commonly known as humpback or hunchback, is defined as an excessive posterior curvature of the thoracic region of the vertebral column. This postural dysfunction can result from conditions such as osteoporosis, which causes weakening and erosion of the anterior portions of the thoracic vertebrae, leading to their gradual collapse. In dowager's hump, a form of kyphosis that typically occurs in elderly women, vertebral fractures due to osteoporosis result in an exaggerated thoracic curve.
Disorders like kyphosis often arise from developmental anomalies, pathological changes, or obesity, which enhance the normal curves of the vertebral column. Beside kyphosis, other disorders associated with spinal curvature include lordosis, an excessive anterior curve of the lumbar region, and scoliosis, an abnormal lateral curvature with a twist in the vertebral column. Treatment and management of these conditions may involve orthopedic intervention.