title: Using magnetic resonance imaging to characterize pedicle asymmetry in both normal patients and patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.
abstract: METHODS
  Morphometric analysis of vertebrae from normal patients and patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To use magnetic resonance imaging to assess pedicle asymmetry in normal patients and patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in the early stages of scoliosis development and to determine if patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis exhibited a consistent vertebral morphology.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  To date, most studies of vertebral morphology in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis have produced conflicting data, especially on pedicle length, and have been conducted on patients in the late stages of scoliosis development, which may affect the patterns of vertebral morphology detected. Magnetic resonance imaging enables in vivo assessment of curves during development and permits improved acquisition of transverse images.
  
  
  METHODS
  Magnetic resonance images of 76 pedicles from 8 normal patients and 80 pedicles from 10 patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were examined retrospectively. Recorded parameters included pedicle lengths, pedicle widths, pedicle areas, pedicle perimeters, and lamina lengths. The extent and direction of asymmetry in vertebrae from normal patients and patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were determined and compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Normal patients displayed significant neural arch asymmetry, with the left sided measurements being greater. Patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis also displayed significant neural arch asymmetry; however, the longer pedicle was not consistently on the convexity or the concavity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The baseline used to assess adolescent idiopathic scoliosis vertebral morphology must take into consideration the extent and direction of normal vertebral asymmetry. The pattern of vertebral asymmetry seen inadolescent idiopathic scoliosis may depend on the specific cause of the disorder, with no consistent pattern evident when data from different causes are pooled together.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. trajwani@ualberta.ca
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rajwani
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Bagnall
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Videman
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kautz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moreau
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mahood
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Raso
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bhargava
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D013131:Spine / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology*