Correlation Between Age, Coronal and Sagittal Parameters and Spine Flexibility in Patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Purpose: To investigate the correlation between spine flexibility and age, skeletal maturity, coronal and sagittal parameters for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).

Methods: All AIS patients evaluated for surgery were included. Following parameters were obtained: age, gender, skeletal maturity (Risser and Sanders), Cobb angle at high thoracic (HT), mean thoracic (MT) and thoracolumbar/lumbar (TL/L) level, flexibility of HT, MT and TL/L curves, coronal and sagittal parameters. A multivariate diagnostic through the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient ([Formula: see text]) was performed.

Results: Data from 200 patients were obtained (30 males, age 15 ± 1.9 years). No significant correlation was found between curve flexibility and age or gender. A negative correlation was observed between flexibility of MT curves and magnitude of HT ([Formula: see text] = - 0.4) and MT curves ([Formula: see text] = - 0.4). A weak correlation among curve flexibility at different levels was observed: the flexibility of HT curves correlated with the flexibility of MT and TL/L curves, and the flexibility of MT curves correlated with flexibility TL/L curves. A negative correlation between flexibility of MT curves and AVT-T (thoracic apical vertebral translation) ([Formula: see text] = - 0.2) was evidenced. No correlations between flexibility and sagittal parameters were observed.

Conclusions: No strong correlation were observed between curve flexibility and age or skeletal maturity. A negative correlation between curve magnitude and flexibility at thoracic level was demonstrated. Furthermore, a weak positive correlation between flexibility of PT, MT and TL/L curves was observed.