European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society
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Kyphosis of the cervical spine has been reported in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). However, few reports have compared sagittal spine alignment of AIS patients with that of the normal population. The purposes of this study were (1) to analyze the characteristics of sagittal alignment, including the cervical spine, in AIS patients with a single thoracic curve (Lenke type 1) compared with the age-matched normal population and (2) to quantify the changes in sagittal alignment of the cervical spine and thoracic kyphosis following posterior spinal fusion. ⋯ There were no effects of scoliosis on sagittal spine parameters such as LL and C7PL in AIS patients with a main thoracic curve. Cervical spine alignment was affected by the thoracic deformity in the sagittal plane, as shown by the reduction in the CL after the operation. These findings suggest that TK may be a cause of cervical kyphosis in AIS patients.