Final answer:
Lordotic refers to an excessive anterior curvature of the lumbar spine, a condition also known as lordosis or swayback. It results in a posteriorly concave curvature in the lower back region formed by the lumbar vertebrae. Conditions like obesity or pregnancy can exacerbate this curvature.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of the human spine, the term lordotic refers to a specific direction of curvature. Lordosis, often termed as swayback, is characterized as an excessive anterior curvature of the lumbar spine. This type of curvature makes the lumbar region of the vertebral column posteriorly concave. The lumbar vertebrae (numbered L1 to L5) are the five vertebrae that make up this area of the spine and are located in the lower back. Lordosis can be noticed as an accentuated inward curve at the lower back when observing the profile of an individual's spine from the side.
There are several conditions associated with lordosis, such as obesity or late pregnancy, where the accumulation of body weight in the abdominal area may result in a shift in the line of gravity causing an increase in the lumbar curve. This condition, along with others like kyphosis and scoliosis, are disorders associated with abnormal curvatures of the vertebral column. To identify lordosis, kyphosis or scoliosis, one could observe the person's back when standing in an anatomical position from the side to check for lordosis and from behind to check for scoliosis and kyphosis.