In recent years, with the growth of social development, the incidence of lumbar vertebrae diseases has increased year by year, and many surgical methods have been developed. These treatment methods mark the accumulation of surgical experience and the development of medical technology. However, a new issue appears, i.e. how to evaluate the degree of lumbar disease and postoperative rehabilitation. There is an urgent need to establish a quantitative index of preoperative examination and postoperative rehabilitation criteria for lumbar disease from both doctors’ and patients’ perspectives. The current studies show that the measurement of the center of rotation (COR) for lumbar vertebrae and surface electromyography (sEMG) can reduce the error in the evaluation of clinical curative effect for treating lumbar disease and can be applied widely. This review summarizes the relationship between COR and lumbar disease, as well as the role of COR and sEMG joint evaluation in clinical operation and postoperative rehabilitation.