The length and proportions of the thoracolumbar spine in children with idiopathic scoliosis.

The length of the thoracolumbar spine was measured on standardized X-ray films from 274 children (6 1/2--18 1/2 years) with idiopathic scoliosis and 212 controls. Where possible, the height and width (traverse diameter) of two vertebral bodies (T-6 and L-4) were also measured. Although a tendency towards longer spines in the scoliotics could be found, there was no significant difference between children with idiopathic scoliosis and controls in this respect. In girls the pubertal growth-spurt of the spine was found to start about 1 year earlier than in the controls and the growth of the spine seemed to cease later in the scoliotics. The height and width of T-6 was significantly greater in the scoliotics than in the controls for girls under 13 years of age. In the older girls and in the boys no significant difference could be demonstrated. The height of L-4 tended to be greater in the scoliotic boys and younger girls, though the differences were not statistically significant. The index height/width was calculated for T-6 and L-4 in all groups of patients and higher values could be demonstrated in the scoliotics for all test groups. The greatest height of T-6 in scoliotics might indicate a longer thoracic spine in these children. The higher values of the height/width indices suggest that the thoracolumbar spine in children with idiopathic scoliosis has an increased slenderness compared with the spine in non-scoliotic children.