OBJECTIVESTo investigate the reliability of cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) and to verify the possibility in the growth evaluation of female adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients as a helpful supplementary to the Risser sign.

METHODSCoronal and lateral full-length spine X-ray film and left hand-wrist radiographs of 77 female adolescent patients with idiopathic scoliosis were selected from January 2010 to October 2010. The interval period between lateral length of the spine and left hand-wrist radiographs did not exceed 3 months. The CVM was assessed by a method developed by Baccetti and co-workers, whereas hand-wrist maturation was assessed by Fishman's method. The results were analyzed by Spearman correlation with patients Risser sign, chronological age, and menarche period.

RESULTSThere were strong correlations between CVM and SMI or Risser sign (r = 0.862 and 0.762, P < 0.01). While in 26 patients whose Risser sign were 0-I, the correlation between CVM and SMI was more pronounced (r = 0.761, P < 0.01), compared with the correlation between Risser sign and SMI (r = 0.641, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSCVM is a valid indicator of skeletal growth evaluation and can be used as a helpful supplementary to Risser sign.