Asynchronous neuro-osseous growth in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis--MRI-based research

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a common worldwide problem and has been treated for many decades; however, there still remain uncertain areas about this disorder. Its involvement and impact on different parts of the human body remain underestimated due to lack of technology in imaging for objective assessment in the past. The advances in imaging technique and image analysis technology have provided a novel approach for the understanding of the phenotypic presentation of neuro-osseous changes in AIS patients as compared with normal controls. This review is the summary of morphological assessment of the skeletal and nervous systems in girls with AIS based on MRI. Girls with AIS are found to have morphological differences in multiple areas including the vertebral column, spinal cord, skull and brain when compared with age- and sex-matched normal controls. Taken together, the abnormalities in the skeletal system and nervous system of AIS are likely to be inter-related and reflect a systemic process of asynchronous neuro-osseous growth. The current knowledge about the anatomical changes in AIS has important implications with respect to the understanding of fundamental pathomechanical processes involved in the evolution of the scoliotic deformity.