The resonant frequencies of the scoliotic spine and the effects of the body weight were studied using a finite element model described previously. The scoliotic spine is more sensitive to vibration than the normal spine. For a patient with single thoracic curve, long-term whole-body vibration may do more harm to the thoracic deformity than to the lower lumbar segments. Axial cyclic loads applied to an already deformed spine may cause further rotational and scoliotic deformity. The patients with idiopathic scoliosis are more likely to suffer from vibration-induced spinal disorders than those by normal persons.
Key Takeaways:
- Analyzing scoliosis in three planes is necessary due to its three-dimensional presentation
- Spine Axial Presentation, or SAP, was tested by producing radiograph images of the scoliotic spines of 85 study participants
- Digital Reconstructed Radiographs, or DRRs, were produced by a special software used to combine images to produce a 3-D representation of the spine
“Morphological analysis of the scoliotic spine is based on two-dimensional X-rays: coronal and sagittal. The three-dimensional character of scoliosis has raised the necessity for analyzing scoliosis in three planes.”