Geometric structure of spinal curves: application to adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Discussion The spine is considered as an heterogeneous beam, and is modeled as a deformable wire, along which vertebrae are beads rotating about the wire. Each vertebra can rotate about the 3D spinal curve. 3D spinal curves are compound of plane regions connected together by zones of transition. The 3D spinal curve is uniquely flexed along the plane regions. The angular offsets between adjacent regions are concentrated at the level of the middle zones of transition. The plane regions along the 3D spinal curve must satisfy two criteria: i) a criterion of minimum distance between the curve and the regional plane and ii) a criterion controlling that the curve is continuously plane at the level of the region.