Planes of maximum deformity in the scoliotic spine

This paper presents a comparison of 4 different methods used to describe th e "plane of maximum deformity" of scoliotic spines. It was conducted on 31 scoliotic subjects with a right thoracic curve. Most techniques are reprodu cible and are little influenced by reconstruction errors. The measurement o f the plane of maximum deformity gives quite different orientations and the re is not a "best technique", even if most of them are correlated. The spin al curves presented different shape patterns, which may explain the discrep ancy in the results between the methods. We recommend using the segment bet ween the end vertebrae to calculate the plane of maximum deformity, and bei ng careful when comparing published results using these techniques because they are not equivalent, even if correlated.