[The advantages of 3D imagery in diagnosing and supervising children's and teenagers' scoliosis]. / Intérêt de l'imagerie 3D dans le diagnostic et la surveillance des scolioses de l'enfant et de l'adolescent.

Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine. One or several curves of more than 10 degrees in the frontal plane can be seen with the rotation of vertebrae in the axial plane, which modifies sagittal curves. In addition to esthetic harm, the morbidity of a scoliosis depends on the extent of the deformation. Treatment, whether it be orthopedic or surgical, is aggressive and never completely cures the condition. At best the deformation will be stabilized at the end of growth. Therefore, it is essential to detect any slight curve and quickly identify any potential progressive form in order to treat it. Visualization of scoliosis in 3D through spine modeling has several advantages at each stage of care. First, with slight curvatures, 3D modeling allows the medical staff to confirm the scoliosis by showing the modification in the three different planes. All curvatures will not progress. Orthopedic treatment is constraining and expensive; only progressive forms will receive it. When the curvature is slight and does not need immediate treatment, 3D modeling at each successive check-up will help detect any sign of likely progression quickly and reliably. Moreover, the medical observation of corset treatment and the preoperative work-up are improved because all 3D parameters of the deformation are accessible. The need for 3D modeling for scoliosis has been known for a long time, but no tool allowing a vertical study with a low level of radiation was available. The EOS imagery system meets these criteria through an optimal analysis of deformations caused by scoliosis.