Spinal sagittal and coronal morphology characteristics in children with short stature.

Abstract

Background: The characteristics of total sagittal and coronal plane parameters in children with short stature (SS) and the correlations between these parameters are currently unknown. This case-control study sought to retrospectively investigate the characteristics of total sagittal and coronal plane parameters in children with SS and examine the correlations between these parameters.

Methods: The data of children aged 3-15 years with SS and normal heights were collected, and the children were allocated to the observation and control groups, respectively. The following parameters were analyzed: coronal Cobb angle, cervical lordosis (CL) angle, T1 slope (T1S), thoracic kyphosis (TK) angle, lumbar lordosis (LL) angle, sacral inclination angle, pelvic inclination angle, pelvic incidence angle, cervical sagittal axis, spinal sagittal axis, trunk pelvic angle (TPA), and spino-sacral angle (SSA).

Results: In total, 41 children with SS were enrolled in this study, and 80 age- and sex-matched children with normal heights were included as the controls. The CL angle, T1S, and TPA were significantly greater (P<0.050) in the children with SS than those with normal heights. The children with SS were further divided into group A with CL (a positive CL angle) and group B without CL (a negative CL angle), while the children with normal heights were further divided into group A' with CL and group B' without CL. The CL angle, T1S, and TK angle were significantly greater (P<0.05), but the Cobb angle and spinal sagittal axis were significantly smaller (P<0.05) in group A than group B, while the CL angle, T1S, and TK angle were significantly greater (P<0.05) in group A than group A'. The Cobb angle was significantly smaller (P=0.024), and the spinal sagittal axis and TPA were significantly greater (P=0.013 and 0.005, respectively) in group B than group B'. Different correlations were found among the spinal parameters.

Conclusions: SS children have a significantly larger CL angle, T1S, TPA, and TK angle, and a tendency toward a hunchback posture. When scoliosis occurs in the coronal plane in children with SS, the degree of scoliosis is relatively small, and the spine tilts toward the dorsal side.