Radiographs Help Predict Curve Flexibility in Scoliosis

THURSDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- In the prediction of curve flexibility and postoperative correction in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, traction under general anesthesia radiographs perform equivalently to supine bending radiographs, according to a study in the Feb. 15 issue of Spine.

Raymond W. Liu, M.D., of University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, and colleagues studied 58 patients who underwent standing posteroanterior (PA) and lateral, supine bending and push-prone radiographs before surgery; traction under general anesthesia radiographs intraoperatively; and standing PA and lateral radiographs after surgery.

The researchers found that traction under general anesthesia and supine bending radiographs performed equivalently for structural main thoracic and thoracolumbar/lumbar curves, and that traction under general anesthesia may be more effective than supine bending in main thoracic curves greater than 60 degrees. They also found that traction under general anesthesia and push-prone radiographs were not significantly different than postoperative correction for nonstructural thoracolumbar/lumbar curves, and that supine-bending radiographs demonstrated hyperflexibility.

"Traction under general anesthesia radiographs may provide the best estimation of ultimate spinal balance after correction with segmental spinal instrumentation techniques," the authors conclude.