BACKGROUND In cerebral palsy (CP) there is an increased risk of scoliosis. It is important to identify a progressive scoliosis early-on because the results of surgery depend on the magnitude of the curve. The Swedish follow-up program for cerebral palsy (CPUP) includes clinical examinations of the spine. The reliability and validity of the assessment method have not been studied. In this study ...

Results The overall failure rate was 31% after bracing and 52% after observation. Age, gender, Risser, Sanders’ digital maturity stage (DMS), curve type and Cobb angle were all associated with outcome. DMS stages were more predictive of failure than Risser grade, even with age in the model. The best-fitting model included the DMS (1-2, 3, or 4+), Cobb angle, and treatment (p<0.0001, c statistic...

A Cobb angle measurement, the angle between upper end plate of T5 and lower end plate of T12, higher than 40 degrees known as kyphosis. Although various etiologies cause kyphosis, the best-known form, Scheuermann’s kyphosis causes disorder in sagittal balance. Surgery should be considered for persistent pain despite conservative treatment, progressive neurological deficits and cosmetic reasons....

It is necessary to assess coronal Cobb angle in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with adult degenerative scoliosis (ADS). But as most ADS patients are elderly patients who are difficult or unable to stand upright without assistance, it is difficult to obtain standing posteroanterior X-ray radiographs. Whether it is possible to use Cobb angle obtained on a supine posteroanterior X-ray rad...

In making clinical decisions, orthopaedic surgeons rely heavily on measurements obtained from the patient’s history, physical signs and radiological examination. A measurement is regarded as reliable, or reproducible, if the same result is obtained when the same entity is measured again. The importance of measurement reliability can be illustrated with an example of a child with scoliosis. An i...