Scoliosis vertebral growth plate histomorphometry: Comparisons to controls, growth rates, and compressive stresses

ABSTRACT Scoliosis progression in skeletally immature patients depends on remaining growth. Relationships between vertebral growth plate histomorphometry, growth rates, and mechanical stresses have been reported in several animal studies. Hypertrophic zone heights and chondrocyte heights have been used to assess treatments that aim to modulate growth. The purpose of this study was to determine whether human vertebral physeal hypertrophic zone and cell heights differed between two groups: Severe scoliosis and autopsy controls. Severity was defined at time of surgical planning by curve magnitude and curve stiffness. Physeal samples were obtained from the convex side apex, and from the concave side when feasible. Histologic sections were prepared, and digital images were used to measure hypertrophic zone height, cell height, and cell width. Thirteen spinal deformity patients were included, mean curve magnitude 67° (±23). Etiologies were juvenile and adolescent idiopathic, congenital, neurofibromatosis, neuromuscular, and Marfan syndrome. Five age‐matched autopsy specimens without scoliosis served as controls. Results were presented by etiology, then all convex scoliosis specimens were combined and compared to controls. Zone heights for scoliosis, convex side, and controls were 152 µm (±34) and 180 µm (±42) ( p  = 0.21), cell heights 8.5 µm (±1.1) and 12.8 µm (±1.2) ( p  < 0.0005), and cell widths 14.9 µm (±1.5) and 15.0 µm (±2.5), respectively. Human values were compared to published animal models and to a quantitative theory of a stress ̶ growth curve. This quantification of vertebral physeal structures in scoliosis may be expected to help assess theories of progression and potential treatments using growth modulation. © 2018 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 36:2450–2459, 2018.