Bone densitometries in assessing bone mineral and structural profiles in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Abstract

Scoliosis is a three-dimensional (3D) structural spinal deformity characterized by both vertebral rotation and lateral curvature greater than 10°. Idiopathic scoliosis is the most common type of structural scoliosis and this chapter focuses on bone mineral and structure parameters in girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) assessed using various bone densitometries, including dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT), quantitative ultrasound (QUS), and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). We found that systemic low bone mass was manifested in 30% of AIS girls. With the use of different modalities of bone densitometry, AIS girls were found to have a significantly lower areal and volumetric bone mineral density (BMD) at various skeletons including spine, proximal femur, and distal extremities. Moreover, poor bone quality re-flected by QUS technique was also found in AIS girls. Clinical application of bone densitometry in relation to the curve severity and prognostic value in predicting curve progression may enhance the clinical management and treatment planning for scoliosis patients. © 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.