The thoracic spine morphology under magnetic resonance imaging in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and its clinical significance / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>To evaluate and compare thoracic vertebrae morphology between patients with idiopathic and normal adolescents through MRI.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two-dimensional sagittal MRI of the spine was performed in 10 normal adolescent, 10 patients with mild idiopathic thoracic scoliosis (Cobb angle 15 degrees - 39 degrees ) and 10 patients with moderate thoracic scoliosis (Cobb angle 40 degrees - 75 degrees ), all of them were female and between 13 - 14 years old. Sagittal imaging was reconstructed on image working station (Easy Vision, Philips Medical Systems, Best, Netherlands). Anterior height, posterior height and width of vertebral body as well as length between spinous process were measured on each thoracic spine.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Anterior height, posterior height and width of vertebral body increased from T(1) to T(12) with the values from scoliotic groups larger than normal group. The anterior height/width ratio and anterior/posterior column ratio were also larger in scoliotic group especially at apical area.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The thoracic vertebrae are higher and slimmer in scoliotic patient than in normal age-matched girls which implied that there is abnormal endochondral ossification on spine during adolescent growth spurt.</p>

Effect of genetic polymorphism of MTNR1A gene on adolescent idiopathic scoliosis / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate whether the MTNR1A gene promotor polymorphism (rs2119882) are associated with the occurrence or curve severity of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>226 AIS patients and 277 normal controls were recruited. The maximum Cobb angles were recorded in AIS patients. PCR-RFLP was used for the genotyping.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The genotype and allele frequency distribution were comparable between AIS and normal control, the mean maximum Cobb angle of different genotypes of rs2119882 were similar with each other among AIS patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The MTNR1A gene promoter polymorphism was neither associated with the occurrence nor the curve severity of AIS.</p>

Cell viability between anterior and posterior spinal growth plate in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the cell viability of chondrocytes between the anterior and the posterior spinal growth plates in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) by proliferation and apoptosis labelling.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventeen AIS patients (4 male and 13 female, mean age 13.6 years old, ranged from 10 to 17 years old) were recruited in this study. Growth plates were harvested during anterior and posterior surgery. PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) and TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated nick end labeling) were used for proliferation and apoptosis labeling on chondrocytes respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In AIS, the distribution of the proliferating nests were denser and more parallel in anterior column than those in posterior under microscope observation. In the proliferative and hypertrophic zone the PCNA index and PCNA/TUNEL ratio were higher in the anterior column than those in the posterior column (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01 respectively). While in resting zone the differences were not so significant.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In adolescent idiopathic scoliosis the growth viability of chondrocytes is more vigorous in anterior spinal column than in the posterior column.</p>