Vitamin D and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, should we stop the hype? A cross-sectional observational prospective study based on a geometric morphometrics approach.

PURPOSE: There is strong evidence supporting the presence of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) in Adolescents with Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS). Additionally, recent research investigating the relationship between vitamin D and AIS found a relation between them. We hypothesize a negative correlation between FA and vitamin D. METHODS: We performed a surface scan of the torso of 53 AIS patients, a blood test to measure vitamin D and the radiographic Cobb angle. A correlation analysis between vitamin D and FA was carried out to test our hypothesis, and a regression of vitamin D on 3D shape was performed to observe shape differences between the vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency groups. RESULTS: There was no correlation between vitamin D and FA. We found a strong negative correlation between vitamin D and the Cobb angle only in the premenarche group (n = 7; r = - 0.92). Differences in shape were observed between the deficiency and insufficiency groups, and that differences were related to the width of the torso, but not the rotation or lateral flexion. CONCLUSIONS: Our results do not support the massive screening of vitamin D in AIS. Shape analysis revealed differences between the shape of the deficiency and insufficiency groups related to robustness. However, this finding had no relation with the scoliosis characteristics, it just reflected different body composition, and its importance should be explored in future.

PlA2 Polymorphism of Platelet Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa and C677T Polymorphism of Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR), but Not Factor V Leiden and Prothrombin G20210A Polymorphisms, Are Associated with More Severe Forms of Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease.

The possible association of common polymorphic variants related to thrombophilia (the rs6025(A) allele encoding the Leiden mutation, rs1799963(A), i.e., the G20210A mutation of the prothrombin F2 gene, the rs1801133(T) variant of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene that encodes an enzyme involved in folate metabolism, and rs5918(C), i.e., the 'A2' allele of the platelet-specific alloantigen system that increases platelet aggregation induced by agonists), with the risk of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (LCPD) and the degree of hip involvement (Catterall stages I to IV) was analyzed in a cohort study, including 41 children of ages 2 to 10.9 (mean 5.4, SD 2.2), on the basis of clinical and radiological criteria of LCPD. In 10 of the cases, hip involvement was bilateral; thus, a total of 51 hips were followed-up for a mean of 75.5 months. The distribution of genotypes among patients and 118 controls showed no significant differences, with a slightly increased risk for LCPD in rs6025(A) carriers (OR: 2.9, CI: 0.2-47.8). Regarding the severity of LCPD based on Catterall classification, the rs1801133(T) variant of the MTHFR gene and the rs5918(C) variant of the platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa were associated with more severe forms of Perthes disease (Catterall III-IV) (p < 0.05). The four children homozygous for mutated MTHFR had a severe form of the disease (Stage IV of Catterall) and a higher risk of non-favorable outcome (Stulberg IV-V).