3-DIMENSIONAL TERMINOLOGY OF SPINAL DEFORMITY - A REPORT PRESENTED TOTHE SCOLIOSIS RESEARCH SOCIETY BY THE SCOLIOSIS RESEARCH SOCIETY WORKING GROUP ON 3-D TERMINOLOGY OF SPINAL DEFORMITY

Conventional terminology of three-dimensional description of spinal de formity is ambiguous and mostly tied to either a frontal or sagittal p lane view of the spine. The article proposes a rationalized system for describing the shape of the spine. The spine is viewed as a line in s pace ('vertebral body line') with three 'angulations' specifying the o rientation of each vertebra. Four axis systems are defined for the who le body, the spine, curve regions, and individual vertebrae, respectiv ely. These in turn define the principal planes of the body, spine, cur ve regions, and vertebrae. Curvature can be defined as a local measure at a point on the vertebral body line, or as a regional measure betwe en specified end vertebrae. Torsion is defined both as a local geometr ic property of the vertebral body line, and as measure of the relative axial plane angulations between specified vertebrae. Linear distance measures define the deviations of specified vertebrae from the local, regional, spinal, and global axis systems. Practical recommendations f or positioning patients are made. This new system of terminology recog nizes the 3-dimensional nature of scoliosis and other spinal deformiti es and is intended to rationalize communication in both research and c linical practice.