The role of the autonomic nervous system in the etiology of idiopathic scoliosis: prospective electron microscopic and morphometric study

REPKO, Martin, Drahomír HORKÝ, Martin KRBEC, R. CHALOUPKA, Eva BRICHTOVÁ and Irena LAUSCHOVÁ. The role of the autonomic nervous system in the etiology of idiopathic scoliosis: prospective electron microscopic and morphometric study. Childs nervous system. 2008, vol. 24, No 6, p. 731-734. ISSN 0256-7040. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00381-007-0555-7.

Basic information

• Original name: The role of the autonomic nervous system in the etiology of idiopathic scoliosis: prospective electron microscopic and morphometric study
• Name in Czech: Význam autonomního nervového systému na etiologii idiopatické skoliosy. Prospektivní elektromikroskopická a morfometrická studie.
• Authors: REPKO, Martin (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Drahomír HORKÝ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Martin KRBEC (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), R. CHALOUPKA (203 Czech Republic), Eva BRICHTOVÁ (203 Czech Republic) and Irena LAUSCHOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution).
• Edition: Childs nervous system, 2008, 0256-7040.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Article in a journal
• Field of Study: 30000 3. Medical and Health Sciences
• Country of publisher: United States of America
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• Impact factor: Impact factor: 1.351
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14110/08:00051015
• Organization unit: Faculty of Medicine
• Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00381-007-0555-7
• UT WoS: 000255616400012
• Keywords in English: autonomic nervous system; idiopathic scoliosis; etiology; electron microscopy; morphometry; myelin; concavity
• Tags: International impact

Abstract

The exact etiology of scoliosis is still unknown. The main purpose of this study is to search for the possible causation of scoliosis in the development changes of autonomic nervous structures. In this prospective study, we followed-up the changes in peripheral nerve structures and its discrepancies regarding the concavity and convexity of the scoliotic curve. Materials and methods We evaluated 12 patients with the idiopathic scoliotic deformity and the control group of 3 patients without any scoliotic deformity. The samples from the peripheral nerves of the convexity and concavity of the scoliotic deformity were drawn during the surgical correction by using the transthoracic approach. The samples were examined by the electron microscopic method and morphometric statistical evaluation. Results In samples taken from the scoliotic convexity, 23.71% of myelinized nerve fibers (MNF), 12.21% of unmyelinized nerve fibers (UNF), and 5.0% of Schwann cells (SC) were found by the morphometric measurement. There were 17.36% of MNF, 5.82% of UNF, and 5.27% of SC in samples taken from the concavity and 29.9% of MNF, 19.9% of UNF, and 16.7% of SC in the control nonscoliotic samples. Statistically significant differences between both sides of scoliotic deformity (convexity and concavity) and differences between the scoliotic samples and the nonscoliotic control samples were found. In all scoliotic samples, significant morphologic changes were found, mostly in the myelin sheaths and axon fiber abnormalities compression. Conclusion There are significant morphologic changes in spinal autonomic nervous structures in scoliotic patients. These findings can help us in the search for the etiology of scoliosis.

Abstract (in Czech)

Poruchy v konfiguraci obalů a v důsledku i vedení vzruchů autonomního nervového systému mohou být příčinou idiopatické skoliosy.