Ultrasound for Scoliosis Diagnostic Evaluation

Scoliosis is a complex 3-dimensional deformity of the spine. It may occur at any time throughout growth and development and is typically detected through x-ray imaging. Although effective at visualizing a curve, x-ray imaging is costly and may expose children to potentially harmful ionizing radiation. This is a 30 patient study to evaluate the reliability of ultrasound, an imaging technique without radiation, to effectively measure scoliosis deformities compared to the gold-standard of x-ray.

All patients who present to Children's National Medical Center for initial evaluation of idiopathic or juvenile scoliosis will be approached.