Hanging radiograph in idiopathic scoliosis patients: significance as a preoperative stress X-ray.

BACKGROUND

Before corrective surgery for idiopathic scoliosis, the stress X-rays are indispensable to collect information regarding the reducibility of deformity, deciding fusion levels, and categorizing curve types and so on. The hanging radiograph has not been conducted preoperatively so far as known. The objective of this study was to investigate retrospectively the significance of the hanging radiograph for prediction of the curve correction with surgical procedure by comparing with the side-bending and the traction radiographs.

METHODS

The subjects enrolled in current study were 22 cases of idiopathic scoliosis who performed posterior instrumentation and fusion by ISOLA method between 2008 and 2014. They included 2 males and 20 females, with a mean age of 16 years and 8 months. The type of curves by Lenke classification were type 1 in 20 cases, type 2 in 1 case, and type 3 in 1 case. We investigated the correction rates of main thoracic curves in side-bending, traction, and hanging positions and compared them with that after surgery. In addition, correction indices were also calculated and compared among these stress X-rays.

RESULTS

The correction rate after surgery was 65.9% that was statistically higher than those in side-bending (44.2%), traction (46.6%), and hanging (22.1%) positions. There were statistical correlations between the correction rates after surgery and in side-bending position (R=0.73) and those after surgery and in traction position (R=0.57). However, there was no statistical correlation between the correction rates after surgery and in hanging position (R=-0.01). With regard to the correction indices, that in hanging position (3.67) was statistically higher than those in side-bending (1.51) and traction (1.45) positions.

CONCLUSIONS

The correction rates in side-bending and traction positions seem to be useful to estimate the amount of curve correction before surgery. Whereas, that in hanging position did not have any significance as preoperative evaluation.