American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP) Practice Test 2026 - Free Osteopathic Family Practice Questions and Study Guide

In the lateral standing structural exam, the clinician assesses the spine’s sagittal alignment—the anterior-posterior curves. This means looking at how the spine curves in the front-to-back direction, such as thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis, and noting whether these curves are exaggerated or flattened. Scoliosis is a lateral (frontal) curvature, not the sagittal one observed in the side view, and while kyphosis and lordosis describe parts of the sagittal profile, the key measurement in this view is the overall A-P (sagittal) curve. So the focus is on changes in the anterior-posterior curves.