[The thoracic spine morphology under magnetic resonance imaging in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and its clinical significance].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate and compare thoracic vertebrae morphology between patients with idiopathic and normal adolescents through MRI.


METHODS
Two-dimensional sagittal MRI of the spine was performed in 10 normal adolescent, 10 patients with mild idiopathic thoracic scoliosis (Cobb angle 15 degrees - 39 degrees ) and 10 patients with moderate thoracic scoliosis (Cobb angle 40 degrees - 75 degrees ), all of them were female and between 13 - 14 years old. Sagittal imaging was reconstructed on image working station (Easy Vision, Philips Medical Systems, Best, Netherlands). Anterior height, posterior height and width of vertebral body as well as length between spinous process were measured on each thoracic spine.


RESULTS
Anterior height, posterior height and width of vertebral body increased from T(1) to T(12) with the values from scoliotic groups larger than normal group. The anterior height/width ratio and anterior/posterior column ratio were also larger in scoliotic group especially at apical area.


CONCLUSIONS
The thoracic vertebrae are higher and slimmer in scoliotic patient than in normal age-matched girls which implied that there is abnormal endochondral ossification on spine during adolescent growth spurt.
Zhu
Feng
F
Department of Spinal Surgery, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China.
Qiu
Yong
Y
Wang
Bin
B
Yeung
Hiu Yan
HY
Chu
Winnie
W
Cheng
Chun-Yiu
CY
D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000473:pathology*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology*