Raster Stereography Versus Radiography in the Long-term Follow-up of Idiopathic Scoliosis

Abstract

Using the parameters of lateral vertebral deviation and vertebral rotation, raster stereography accurately reflects the radiographically measured progression of idiopathic scoliosis during the long-term follow-up, but these parameters are not directly comparable with the Cobb angle. In the follow-up of scoliosis patients, the authors would recommend a raster-stereographic examination every 3 to 6 months and a radiographic examination every 12 to 18 months only, provided that raster stereography does not show rapid deterioration of the scoliosis. The patient's radiation exposure can be reduced using this approach.

Answer to the Letter to the Editor of J. Padulo concerning: “Vertebral rotation in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis calculated by radiograph and back surface analysis-based methods: correlation between the Raimondi method and rasterstereography” by Mangone M, Raimondi P, Paoloni M, Pellanera S, Di Michele A, Di Renzo S, Vanadia M, Dimaggio M, Murgia M, Santilli V (2013) Eur Spine J 22:367–371

“…This, it is worth repeating, is something that has already been demonstrated by a considerable body of published literature (e.g. 4,5). In short, our message was not that rasterstereography can serve as a substitute for radiographs, when making clinical diagnosis of vertebral rotation.…”

Vertebral rotation in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis calculated by radiograph and back surface analysis-based methods: correlation between the Raimondi method and rasterstereography

“…Radiographic-based measurements represent in fact the gold standard for diagnosis and for precisely quantify the amount of VR in AIS patients [5]. Rasterstereographic measurements, however, because of their safety profile, may be effectively used for monitoring over time of clinical changes [25], thereby confirming the possibility of their use for AIS follow-ups [22]. Interestingly, two patients were excluded from the present analysis, because the low quality of X-ray images did not allow to estimate anatomical landmarks needed for VR assessment through Raimondi method.…”

“…Rasterstereography is a method for stereophotogrammetric surface measuring of the back, originally developed by Drerup and Hierholzer [19]. It has been demonstrated that rasterstereography produces reliable data in patients with conservatively and surgically treated AIS, up to a Cobb angle of 80° [20,21], so that some authors have proposed to space out radiographs with rasterstereography in AIS long-term follow-up [22]. Since the importance of VR evaluation in AIS assessment, however, whether rasterstereography could give an accurate estimation of VR when compared with radiographs is an issue that remains to be addressed.…”

Historical review and experience with the use of surface topographic systems in children with idiopathic scoliosis

“…There was a positive correlation between changes in vertebral axial rotation and changes in Cobb angle and they also noted that Cobb angles remain constant during longitudinal growth, while stereography measurements are able to track this growth. More recently, Schulte et al 20 investigated the reliability and accuracy of raster stereography compared to X-rays in a longitudinal study in idiopathic scoliosis ( Figure 2). They analysed 16 patients with an average followup of 8 years (range of 3-10 years).…”