Development of scoliosis following pinealectomy in young chickens is not the result of an artifact of the surgical procedure

Pinealectomy in young chickens consistently results in scoliosis, which has many characteristics similar to those seen in adolescent idiopathic scolio sis. The mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains a mystery and it is n ot yet entirely clear whether some unidentified aspect of the extensive sur gery is the major factor rather than the removal of the pineal gland. Four different types of pinealectomy surgery were performed on young chickens as well as deliberate damage to the cerebral cortex which simulated the extre me of any accidental damage that might occur during surgery. Scoliosis was assessed from weekly radiographs. No differences in incidence of scoliosis, degree of severity, or pattern of curve development were observed for any of the experimental groups when compared with controls. In all groups appro ximately 55% of the chickens developed scoliosis that progressed rapidly. D ifferent pinealectomy procedures and deliberate damage to the cerebral cort ex produce scoliosis in young chickens with the same incidence and characte ristics. This suggests strongly that the mechanism behind the phenomenon is due to the removal of the pineal gland and not some artifact of the extens ive surgery. The pinealectomy model in young chickens is proving to be a go od model for studying AIS in humans. An understanding of the mechanism unde rlying this phenomenon has the potential to provide further insights into t he etiology of AIS and can lead to the development of novel treatment metho ds. Microsc. Res. Tech. 53: 81-86, 2001. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.