Scoliosis elasticity assessed by manual traction: 49 juvenile and adolescent idiopathic cases

Abstract

We assessed preoperative curve elasticity in 49 consecutive patients with juvenile or adolescent idiopathic scoliosis who were operated on with Harrington distraction rods. Preoperatively, the curve was determined from posteroanterior radiographs taken in the standing position and in the supine position, with traction. In the latter, the radiographs were taken at the moment of maximal traction when one technician applied traction to the ankles and another to the wrists. The scoliotic curve in the 10 patients with juvenile scoliosis averaged 59° and 32° in the standing and supine positions with traction, respectively. Immediately postoperatively, the curve averaged 19°, 39 patients with adolescent scoliosis had a scoliotic curve which averaged 58° in the standing position and 32° in the supine position with traction. The mean postoperative measurement was 21°. These findings suggest that manual traction is a simple and reliable means of predicting the minimal correction of the scoliotic curve to be expected, using Harrington distraction rods.