Three-dimensional imaging for the surgical treatment of idiopathic scoliosis in adolescents.

Scoliosis is not simply a lateral deviation of the spine but is a complex deformity of the entire trunk. Recent advances in 3-dimensional (3-D) imaging have improved our understanding of the 3-D nature of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and have resulted in the development of a new generation of spinal instrumentation. Stereophotogrammetry, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and surface topography all have their specific 3-D applications and relevance in the clinical management of AIS. In the near future, novel 3-D imaging applications will provide tools to guide the surgeon in the planning, performance and evaluation of increasingly sophisticated and less invasive surgical procedures, thus improving the outcome of surgical treatment for AIS.