Paravertebral Muscles Assessment Using High-resolution MRI in Idiopathic or Neuromuscular Scoliosis Children

Scoliosis is a common three-dimensional spinal deformity defined by vertebral rotation. Apart from collapse scoliosis, clinical and radiological similarities have been observed in children with secondary scoliosis of neuromuscular origin and children with idiopathic scoliosis in terms of the location and type of curvature. It seems relevant to study the axial musculature in these children in more detail, particularly the deep muscles (transversospinales muscles) that have a stabilising and rotational function (multifidi and rotatores). MRI is a non-invasive, non-irradiating technique used in the aetiological diagnosis of idiopathic scoliosis before adolescence and in the diagnosis of secondary scoliosis. However, the muscles are not specifically studied during these examinations. They are performed to analyse the spinal cord and rule out hinge deformities, although this technique does