Monitoring of Curve Progression in Patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Using 3-D Ultrasound

Kelly Ka Lee Lai, Timothy Tin Yan Lee, Heidi Hin Ting Lau, Winnie Chiu Wing Chu, Jack Chun Yiu Cheng, René Marten Castelein, Tom P.C. Schlösser, Tsz Ping Lam, Yong Ping Zheng

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the work described here was to determine whether 3-D ultrasound can provide results comparable to those of conventional X-ray examination in assessing curve progression in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Methods: One hundred thirty-six participants with AIS (42 males and 94 females; age range: 10–18 y, mean age: 14.1 ± 1.9 y) with scoliosis of different severity (Cobb angle range: 10º– 85º, mean: of 24.3 ± 14.4º) were included. Each participant underwent biplanar low-dose X-ray EOS and 3-D ultrasound system scanning with the same posture on the same date. Participants underwent the second assessment at routine clinical follow-up. Manual measurements of scoliotic curvature on ultrasound coronal projection images and posterior–anterior radiographs were expressed as the ultrasound curve angle (UCA) and radiographic Cobb angle (RCA), respectively. RCA and UCA increments ≥5º represented a scoliosis progression detected by X-ray assessment and 3-D ultrasound assessment, respectively. Results: The sensitivity and specificity of UCA measurement in detecting scoliosis progression were 0.93 and 0.90, respectively. The negative likelihood ratio of the diagnostic test for scoliosis progression by the 3-D ultrasound imaging system was 0.08. Conclusion: The 3-D ultrasound imaging method is a valid technique for detecting coronal curve progression as compared with conventional radiography in follow-up of AIS. Substituting conventional radiography with 3-D ultrasound is effective in reducing the radiation dose to which AIS patients are exposed during their follow-up examinations.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)384-393
Number of pages10
JournalUltrasound in Medicine and Biology
Volume50
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2024

Keywords

  • 3-D ultrasound
  • Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis
  • Scoliosis
  • Scoliosis progression
  • Spine curvature

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Radiological and Ultrasound Technology
  • Biophysics
  • Acoustics and Ultrasonics

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