Longitudinal Study Using MRI and 3D Ultrasound to Track Early Spine Changes in Children at Risk for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis and 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying adolescent idiopathic scoliosis AIS, a condition where the spine curves during the adolescent growth spurt, but its exact cause remains unclear. The study focuses on girls and boys at higher risk for scoliosis development, including those with family history and those with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome 22q11.2DS. The goal is to understand differences in spine growth and changes before and during AIS onset using new non-radiation imaging methods. This observational study follows two groups one of adolescent girls aged 8-10 years with family members diagnosed with AIS, and another of girls and boys aged 8-11 years diagnosed with 22q11.2DS. Participants will undergo spinal MRI and 3D ultrasound scans at multiple time points from ages 8 or 9 to 15 or 16, depending on gender. A hand radiograph for skeletal maturity assessment will be done once. The study aims to track anatomical spine changes over time without any intervention. Participants will have spinal MR imaging of the thoracic and lumbar regions at five scheduled ages to evaluate changes in spinal anatomy, including segmental rotation and disc morphology. Other assessments include spinal alignment, vertebrae and disc volumes, and nucleus pulposus shift. These imaging tests are radiation-free and repeated over several years to create a detailed longitudinal dataset. Parents will provide consent, and the study will monitor growth and scoliosis development until participants reach mid-adolescence.

Early Scoliotic Changes in Children at Increased Risk for Scoliosis Development