[3-D evaluation of posture in normal and scoliotic adolescents]

We have developed a new clinical evaluation of the human posture based on 3D digitization with magnetic fields. This 3D postural evaluation displays the relative position of the head, the shoulders and the pelvis. The main purpose is to identify key morphological parameters in order to demonstrate significant differences between 2 groups of subjects. Nineteen adolescent control subjects and 22 patients with AIS have been evaluated. The t-tests showed significant statistical differences between the 2 groups for every measurements studied. The 2 most significant were tilt of the shoulders in the postero-anterior plane and the angle of the shoulder-blades vs the shoulders in the transverse plane (p < 0.0005). These results support the value of the 3D postural evaluation as a clinical tool for the evaluation of AIS. This technique is non-invasive and could be used for the clinical follow-up in order to evaluate the postural evolution in scoliotic patients.