title: Rib-vertebral angle measurements predict brace treatment outcome in Risser grade 0 and premenarchal girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.
abstract: To investigate the predictive role of rib-vertebral angle (RVA) measurements in early adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) girls with right thoracic curve during brace treatment.
  
  
  
  Early AIS (premenarchal and Risser 0) girls who had undergone brace treatment and had been followed regularly were recruited to this study. According to the bracing outcome, they were divided into Group A (non-progressed) and Group B (curve worsened over six degrees or indicated for surgery).
  
  
  
  Totally 48 girls were included. There were 30 and 18 patients in Groups A and B, respectively. Ratio of curve progression was significantly higher in patients with initial RVA difference (RVAD) ≥20° versus <20°, or convex RVA (CRVA) ≤68° versus >68°. From brace initiation to the latest follow-up, CRVA was found to be significantly higher in Group A versus Group B (P < 0.05), while RVAD was higher in Group B versus Group A (P < 0.05). Serial measurements revealed an increasing trend for RVAD (from 19 ± 10° to 29 ± 8°) yet a decreasing trend for CRVA (from 68 ± 6° to 60 ± 7°) in Group B, but both RVAD and CRVA were found to remain stable in Group A during the follow-up period. Association analyses showed that both RVAD ≥20° and CRVA ≤68° at brace initiation and at each follow-up were significantly associated with curve progression.
  
  
  
  The initial RVAD ≥20° and CRVA ≤68° serve as valid factors in predicting the risk of curve progression during bracing in early AIS. Constant watch on RVAD and CRVA can help to more accurately predict the effectiveness of bracing in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Zhongshan Road 321, Nanjing, 210008, China.|The Joint Scoliosis Research Center of Nanjing University and Chinese University of Hong Kong, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Luan Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Luan, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Zhongshan Road 321, Nanjing, 210008, China.
authors.forename: Shifu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sha
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Zhongshan Road 321, Nanjing, 210008, China.
authors.forename: Saihu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Zhongshan Road 321, Nanjing, 210008, China.|The Joint Scoliosis Research Center of Nanjing University and Chinese University of Hong Kong, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Zhongshan Road 321, Nanjing, 210008, China.|The Joint Scoliosis Research Center of Nanjing University and Chinese University of Hong Kong, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Zezhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Zhongshan Road 321, Nanjing, 210008, China.
authors.forename: Bangping
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Zhongshan Road 321, Nanjing, 210008, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.|The Joint Scoliosis Research Center of Nanjing University and Chinese University of Hong Kong, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Jack C Y
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Spine Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Zhongshan Road 321, Nanjing, 210008, China. scoliosis2002@sina.com.|The Joint Scoliosis Research Center of Nanjing University and Chinese University of Hong Kong, Nanjing, China. scoliosis2002@sina.com.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qiu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001915:Braces; D002648:Child; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012272:Ribs / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
keywords: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis; Brace treatment; Convex rib-vertebral angle; Curve progression; Rib-vertebral angle difference