title: [Abnormal growth of spine in patients with adolescent idiopathic thoracic scoliosis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate if the growth patterns of the spine and pelvis are consistent in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients with single thoracic curves.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight thoracic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (T-AIS) female patients and 48 healthy age-matched adolescents were recruited consecutively between December 2011 and October 2012. Radiographic parameters including height of spine (HOS), length of spine (LOS), height of thoracic spine (HOT), length of thoracic spine (LOT), height of pelvis (HOP), width of pelvis (WOP) and width of thorax (WOT) were measured on the long-cassette posteroanterior standing radiographs. In addition, ratios including HOS/HOP, LOS/HOP, HOT/HOP, LOT/HOP, LOS/LOT, WOT/WOP were also calculated. Independent t-test was performed to compare the radiographic parameters and ratios between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to the age-matched healthy adolescents, T-AIS patients had a significantly higher LOS and LOT (t = -2.364 and -1.495, P = 0.020 and 0.043) and smaller HOS and HOT (t = 2.060 and 3.359, P = 0.042 and 0.001). Yet, all of HOP, WOP and WOT showed no significant difference between T-AIS patients and healthy adolescents. Similarly, LOS/HOP and LOT/HOP were significantly higher in T-AIS patients as may be expected with an average LOS/HOP of 2.26 ± 0.14 in normal controls.In addition, LOS/LOT in normal controls had a trend of increase with age which was different from the stable LOS/LOT in T-AIS patients, indicating an increased growth of thoracic vertebra compared to lumbar vertebra.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared to the age-matched healthy adolescents, T-AIS patients have an abnormal growth characteristics with longer spine. The growth of pelvis and thorax show no significant differences between T-AIS patients and healthy adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China.
authors.forename: Hongda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China. Email: scoliosis2002@sina.com.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China.
authors.forename: Zezhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010388:Pelvis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development*; D011859:Radiography; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development