Defining multilevel developmental cervical spinal stenosis using MRI.

Aims: Developmental cervical spinal stenosis (DcSS) is a well-known predisposing factor for degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) but there is a lack of consensus on its definition. This study aims to define DcSS based on MRI, and its multilevel characteristics, to assess the prevalence of DcSS in the general population, and to evaluate the presence of DcSS in the prediction of developing DCM.

Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed MRI spine morphological parameters at C3 to C7 (including anteroposterior (AP) diameter of spinal canal, spinal cord, and vertebral body) from DCM patients (n = 95) and individuals recruited from the general population (n = 2,019).

Core planar cell polarity genes and in predisposition to congenital vertebral malformations.

Congenital scoliosis (CS), affecting approximately 0.5 to 1 in 1,000 live births, is commonly caused by congenital vertebral malformations (CVMs) arising from aberrant somitogenesis or somite differentiation. While Wnt/ß-catenin signaling has been implicated in somite development, the function of Wnt/planar cell polarity (Wnt/PCP) signaling in this process remains unclear.

Effectiveness of bracing to achieve curve regression in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Aims: To systematically evaluate whether bracing can effectively achieve curve regression in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), and to identify any predictors of curve regression after bracing.

Methods: Two independent reviewers performed a comprehensive literature search in PubMed, Ovid, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library to obtain all published information about the effectiveness of bracing in achieving curve regression in AIS patients. Search terms included "brace treatment" or "bracing," "idiopathic scoliosis," and "curve regression" or "curve reduction.

Male spondyloarthritis patients and those with longer disease duration have less severe disc degeneration: propensity score-matched comparison.

Objective: Using whole spine sagittal T2 MRI, we aimed to compare the severity and prevalence of disc degeneration (DD) in axial SpA patients the general population and to determine any association between spinal inflammation, structural changes, mobility and DD among SpA patients.

Methods: Two prospectively collected cohorts of SpA patients ( = 411) and the general population ( = 2007) were recruited. Eventually, 967 participants from the populational cohort and 304 participants from the SpA cohort were analysed.

Using the Proximal Femur Maturity Index at Brace Initiation for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Predicts Curve Progression Risk.

Background: The Proximal Femur Maturity Index (PFMI) can be used to assess skeletal maturity on existing whole-spine radiographs without additional radiation. However, the relationship between the PFMI at the initiation of bracing for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and subsequent curve progression remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the PFMI and curve progression, and the predictability of risks to adulthood curve progression and surgical thresholds based on the PFMI grade at brace initiation.

Impaired glycine neurotransmission causes adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most common form of spinal deformity, affecting millions of adolescents worldwide, but it lacks a defined theory of etiopathogenesis. Because of this, treatment of AIS is limited to bracing and/or invasive surgery after onset. Preonset diagnosis or preventive treatment remains unavailable.

Predicting Progression in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis at the First Visit by Integrating 2D Imaging and 1D Clinical Information.

Study Design: Retrospective observational study.

Objectives: The prediction of curve progression in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) remains an unresolved area in orthopedic surgery. To make a rapid meaningful prediction, easily accessible multi-dimensional data at the patient's first consultation should be used.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Traditional Chinese Version of the Italian Spine Youth Quality of Life (ISYQOL) Questionnaire.

The Italian Spine Youth Quality of Life (ISYQOL) is a validated health-related quality of life (HRQOL) questionnaire for teenagers with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). We culturally-adapted ISYQOL to traditional Chinese (ISYQOL-TC) and then recruited 133 conservatively treated teenagers with AIS to complete the ISYQOL-TC and the Chinese version of the Scoliosis Research Society-22 revised (SRS-22r) questionnaire, nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), and numeric pain rating scale (NPRS). They repeated ISYQOL-TC two weeks later.

Directed Versus Nondirected Standing Postures in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: Its Impact on Curve Magnitude, Alignment, and Clinical Decision-Making.

Study Design: Prospective study.

Objective: To investigate the difference in major curve Cobb angle and alignment between directed and nondirected positioning for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and to evaluate implications on treatment decision-making.

Summary Of Background Data: Proper positioning of patients with spinal deformities is important for assessing usual functional posture in standing, so management strategies can be customized accordingly.

Why Are Some Intervertebral Discs More Prone to Degeneration?: Insights Into Isolated Thoracic "Dysgeneration".

Study Design: Prospective observational study.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of isolated thoracic degeneration on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), demographic factors and imaging features, as well as the patient-reported quality of life outcomes associated with this condition.

Summary Of Background Data: Thoracic intervertebral discs are least susceptible to disc degeneration (DD) and may represent a manifestation of "dysgeneration.

Can the proximal humeral ossification system (PHOS) effectively guide brace weaning in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis?

Purpose: The proximal humeral epiphyses can be conveniently viewed in routine spine radiographs. This study aimed to investigate whether the proximal humeral epiphyseal ossification system (PHOS) can be used to determine the timing of brace weaning in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), as assessed by the rate of curve progression after brace weaning.

Methods: A total of 107 patients with AIS who had weaned brace-wear at Risser Stage  ≥  4, no bodily growth and post-menarche  ≥  2 years between 7/2014 and 2/2016 were studied.

Propensity-matched Comparison Between Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain and Axial Spondyloarthritis: Impact on patient-perceived Quality of Life.

Study Design: Prospective study.

Objective: To compare the burden between chronic nonspecific low back pain (LBP) and axial spondyloarthropathy (SpA).

Summary Of Background Data: Chronic nonspecific LBP and SpA are two debilitating yet different chronic musculoskeletal disorders.

Curve Overcorrection Predicts Coronal Imbalance in Selective Thoracic Fusion in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort Study.

Objectives: To identify predictive factors for coronal imbalance after selective fusion in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) with Lenke type 1 curves.

Methods: AIS patients with Lenke type 1 curve with A, B and C lumbar modifiers underwent selective thoracic fusion.

Predictive factors for successful non-operative treatment and achieving MCID improvement in health-related quality of life in adult spinal deformity.

Background: Adult spinal deformity is a spectrum of degenerative spinal diseases with increasing prevalence and healthcare burden worldwide. Identification of patients who are more likely to improve through conservative management may reduce cost and potentially prevent surgery and its associated costs and complications. This study aims to identify predictive factors for MCID in improvement of ODI and SRS-22r questionnaires in patients with adult spinal deformity treated with conservative treatment.

Longitudinal comparison of direct medical cost, radiological and health-related quality of life treatment outcomes between traditional growing rods and magnetically controlled growing rods from preoperative to maturity.

Background: Magnetically controlled growing rods (MCGR) have replaced traditional growing rods (TGR) in the past decade, however, a comparison of their direct costs and treatment outcomes based on real longitudinal data is lacking. This study aims to compare the direct cost and treatment outcomes between TGR and MCGR, whilst incorporating complications, reoperations and changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) throughout the entire treatment course.

Methods: Patients with early onset scoliosis (EOS) who underwent initial growing rod surgery between 2003 and 2016 at a tertiary scoliosis clinic were studied with longitudinal data.

Equipoise for Lateral Access Surgery.

Objective: To investigate the use of lateral access surgery among surgeons from the Asia-Pacific region to determine equipoise for areas of contentious use.

Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to members of the Asia Pacific Spine Society. Surgeons were asked about their past experiences with lateral access surgery, including their advantages and disadvantages, specific surgical strategies, choices in implant-related factors, order of levels to operate on in multilevel reconstruction surgery, and postoperative complications.

Curve type, flexibility, correction, and rotation are predictors of curve progression in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis undergoing conservative treatment : a systematic review.

Aims: The aim of this study was to review the current evidence surrounding curve type and morphology on curve progression risk in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).

Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted by two independent reviewers on PubMed, Embase, Medline, and Web of Science to obtain all published information on morphological predictors of AIS progression. Search items included 'adolescent idiopathic scoliosis', 'progression', and 'imaging'.

Supine correction index as a predictor for brace outcome in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the ability of morphological spinal parameters to predict the outcome of bracing in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and to establish a novel supine correction index (SCI) for guiding bracing treatment.

Methods: Patients with AIS to be treated by bracing were prospectively recruited between December 2016 and 2018, and were followed until brace removal. In all, 207 patients with a mean age at recruitment of 12.

Oral Zoledronic acid bisphosphonate for the treatment of chronic low back pain with associated Modic changes: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

To assess the safety and efficacy of oral 50 mg Zoledronic acid (ZA) bisphosphate once-a-week for 6-weeks to placebo among patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP) and Modic changes (MC) on MRI. A parallel, double-blinded randomized controlled study was performed at a single center, consisted of 25 subjects with cLBP and MC that received ZA (n = 13) or placebo (n = 12). Evaluation was at baseline, 2-weeks, 4-weeks, 3-months and 6-months for assessment of LBP/leg pain intensity, disability (Oswestry-Disability-Index: ODI), health-related quality-of-life (RAND-36), and mental component summary scores (MCS).

Psychometric performance of proxy-reported EQ-5D youth version 5-level (EQ-5D-Y-5L) in comparison with three-level (EQ-5D-Y-3L) in children and adolescents with scoliosis.

Objectives: To assess the psychometric performance of proxy-reported EQ-5D-Y-5L (Y-5L) in comparisons with EQ-5D-Y-3L (Y-3L) administered by caregivers of patients with juvenile (JIS) or adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).

Methods: A consecutive sample of caregivers of JIS or AIS patients were recruited. Redistribution property, ceiling effects, and discriminative power were examined.

The Utility of a Novel Proximal Femur Maturity Index for Staging Skeletal Growth in Patients with Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Background: For growing patients, it is ideal to have a growth plate visible in routine radiographs for skeletal maturity assessment without additional radiation. The proximal femoral epiphyseal ossification is in proximity to the spine; however, whether it can be used for assessing a patient's growth status remains unknown.

Methods: Two hundred and twenty sets of radiographs of the spine and the left hand and wrist of patients with idiopathic scoliosis were assessed for skeletal maturity and reliability testing.

Identification of Copy Number Variants in a Southern Chinese Cohort of Patients with Congenital Scoliosis.

Congenital scoliosis (CS) is a lateral curvature of the spine resulting from congenital vertebral malformations (CVMs) and affects 0.5-1/1000 live births. The copy number variant (CNV) at chromosome 16p11.

A Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Clinical Effectiveness of 3D-Printed Orthosis in the Management of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Study Design: Prospective randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To compare clinical effectiveness and quality of life (QoL) of the 3D-printed orthosis (3O) and conventional orthosis (CO) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).

Summary Of Background Data: Using 3D printing technology to design and fabricate orthoses to manage AIS aiming to improve in-orthosis correction and patients' compliance that are considered essential factors of effective treatment.