3D Ultrasound Imaging of the Spine

In recent years, the amount of publications related to the study of spine using ultrasound, especially on scoliosis, has rapidly increased. Many new methods and application related to 3D ultrasound imaging for scoliosis assessment have been recently reported. The capabilities of three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound to visualize the vertebrae features such as spinous and transverse processes, bilateral laminae and ribs mainly at the level of main thoracic and thoracolumbar region are shown in this chapter. Different ultrasound systems developed for scoliosis evaluation and application of ultrasound during different postures and treatments such as brace fitting are also introduced. Moreover, innovative measurement methods for spinal evaluation in orthogonal planes are presented in this chapter. The advance of the development of 3D ultrasound allows one to perform large-scale screening, prognosticate and diagnose mild and severe scoliosis at a more frequent and non-ionizing basis. The authors wish that this chapter will help to promote the applications of ultrasound to medical specialists in different aspects regarding the possibilities of ultrasonography to tackle with different spinal problems.