Managing the Pediatric Spine: Growth Assessment

Management of pediatric spinal deformities requires an accurate prediction of growth spurts to allow for timely initiation of treatment and prevention of curve progression. Determining remaining growth potential is also important for avoiding prolonged unnecessary treatment, e.g. bracing for patients nearing skeletal maturity. Many clinical and radiological growth parameters have been developed to aid clinicians in growth prediction. Of these, several commonly used measures such as height and arm span growth trends, timing of menarche, and the Risser sign are mostly retrospective and lack strong predictive utility. Bone age assessments, such as digital skeletal age and the distal radius and ulna classification, are more accurate parameters, but further research is required to determine interethnic variations and develop their role in management decisions.