title: Ultrasonographic measurements of paraspinal muscle thickness in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a comparison and reliability study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine paraspinal muscle asymmetries in patients with mild adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) compared with controls using ultrasound (US) imaging and to determine reliability of the US imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty adolescents (10 with and 10 without AIS) whose muscle thickness of the deep paraspinals at T8 and the multifidus at L1 and L4 vertebral levels was determined using US imaging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ultrasound imaging had good intrarater reliability (ICC3,3 = 0.83-0.99) and interrater reliability (ICC2,3 = 0.93-0.99). Significantly greater muscle thicknesses were found on the concave side at T8 and L1 compared with the corresponding convex side. Significantly greater normalized muscle thickness values were found on the concave side at T8, L1, and L4 in patients with mild AIS compared with controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ultrasound imaging is reliable for measuring the deep thoracic paraspinals and lumbar multifidus in adolescents with and without idiopathic scoliosis. Significant paraspinal muscle asymmetries were found in mild AIS.
  For more insights from the authors, access Supplemental Digital Content 1, at http://links.lww.com/PPT/A76.
authors.affiliation: Physical Therapy (Dr Zapata), Orthopedics (Dr Sucato), and Radiology (Dr Dempsey-Robertson), Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Dallas, Texas; School of Physical Therapy (Dr Wang-Price), Texas Woman's University, Dallas, Texas.
authors.forename: Karina A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Zapata
authors.forename: Sharon S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Wang-Price
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Sucato
authors.forename: Molly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dempsey-Robertson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015588:Observer Variation; D064170:Paraspinal Muscles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography