OBJECTIVE: to determine the aorta positioning in patients with idiopathic scoliosis. METHODS: We performed imaging studies on outpatients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and on a group of healthy patients, and analyzed six parameters: length of the vertebral body, width, aortic-body distance, aortic diameter, distance between spine channel and aorta and aortic-body angle. RESULTS: Curves ranged from T3 to L2 with Cobb angles from 46° to 114°. By Lenk's classification it was observed that types 1AN and 1BN occurred in 20% of cases, 1CN, 3BN, 3C+ in 13,3 % and 1B+, and 3C- in 6,7%. The nearest vertebrae of the apex of the curve in the scoliosis group present higher values than those of the control group (at T8 with a mean of 86.93° in the scoliosis group and average of 49.07° in the control group (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: The nearer the apex of the deformity, the greater the lateralization and posteriorization of the aorta.
Scoliosis; Aorta; Anatomy; Spine
