Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of the adolescent patient with idiopathic scoliosis before spinal instrumentation and fusion: A prospective, double-blinded study of 140 patients

Study Design. This was a prospective, double-blinded study of the magnetic resonance imaging findings in the neural axis of 140 neurologically normal typical adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis who were scheduled for scoliosis surgery. Objective. To detect the prevalence of spinal cord and neural axis abnormalities in this select population. Summary of Background Data. No similar study exists, although a few related studies were published. Methods. Full-length neural axis magnetic resonance imaging studies were reviewed independently by two radiologists who specialize in the spine. Results. Only four patients had a definite abnormality-one a small thoracic syrinx and the other three with a Chiari I malformation. None of these required neurosurgery. All 140 patients had their scoliosis surgery without necrologic compromise. Conclusion. Routine magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of neurologically normal, typical adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis is not warranted, based on this study.