Clinical diagnosis of a patient with spinal deformity

Abstract

Formulation of expanded diagnosis in spine surgery is of particular importance. This allows for most timely solving the issue of the treatment choice and determining the amount of intervention. A single technique for diagnosis formulation is one of the first steps to establish a national registry of patients with scoliosis, the significance of which needs no justification. The paper presents a methodology for the formulation of a clinical diagnosis in patients with spinal deformities of different etiologies: idiopathic scoliosis, congenital scoliosis and kyphosis, syndromic scoliosis, myopathic deformities of the spine, and Scheuermann’s disease. In authors’ view, diagnosis should include information on the following characteristics: etiology, side of convexity, localization, structurality and rigidity of the primary curve, degree of deformity compensation, nature of progression and magnitude, sagittal contour of the spine, location of secondary curve, peculiarities of the rib hump, neurological symptoms, pain, age group, comorbidities (vertebral and non-vertebral), and previous surgeries on the spine. In congenital deformities, the abnormalities, both vertebral (intra- and extracanal) and non-vertebral should be noted.

Keywords

• clinical diagnosis
• deformity of the spine