Children who have scoliosis (curvature of the spine) may also have neurological disorders such as syringomyelia(accumulation of fluid in the spinal cord) or Chiari I Malformation (a congenital malformation of the brain).
Surgeons may be concerned about not knowing about these issues in advance of performing spinal surgery and, therefore, order pre-operative magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) to detect these abnormalities. The authors of this study wanted to determine if x-rays of the scoliosis curves and the findings regarding curve severity, could give them the information they require regarding the presence of the neurological abnormalities.
The records of 87 children were reviewed by researchers to collect data on the curves, the patterns (side to side, more than one, degree of curve, etc). The patients were then divided into three groups: group 1’s children had curves of 10 to 30 degrees, group 2’s children had curves of 30 to 60 degrees, and group 3’s children had curves of more than 60 degrees.
The researchers found both Chiari I malformation and syringomyelia in all patients, regardless of curve presentation. Also, the researchers noted if kyphosis, curving inward rather than from side to side, was present, this could be an indication of progressing scoliosis.