COMPUTER-ASSISTED CURVATURE ASSESSMENT AND COBB ANGLE DETERMINATION OF THE THORACIC KYPHOSIS - AN IN-VIVO AND IN-VITRO COMPARISON

Study Design. A retrospective survey of thoracic spinal curvature comp ared postmortem radiographs with recent clinical films in 22 cases. Ob jectives. This study was performed to determine whether spinal curvatu re measured from postmortem radiographs is a valid measure of curvatur e in vivo. Summary of Background Data. Little quantitative data have b een cited on whether sagittal plane thoracic spinal curve characterist ics change after death. Methods. Thoracic kyphosis was measured using the Cobb method and the mean radius of curvature from computer-assiste d digitizing of the vertebral contour. Thoracic segments visualized on the chest films were referenced to the postmortem radiograph. Results and Conclusions. The in vivo and in vitro measurements strongly corre lated (Cobb angle r = 0.95, curvature r = 0.78). Trends decreased slig htly in Cobb angle (1.3-degrees, -2.6%) and increased slightly in curv ature (10.7 mm, 4.1%). Differences were not significant, however, supp orting the use of spinal curvature analysis with postmortem radiograph s.