Scoliosis Animal Model In Biped Rat And Apoptosis In Its Vertebral Growth Plate

BackgroudIdiopathic scoliosis is the most common spinal deformities in children and adolescents. Althouth a number of genetic, central nervous system, connective tissue, metabolic, differing growth pattern, hormonal and biomechanical abnormalities have been proposed as its etiologic factors, the patogenesis of idiopathic scoliosis still remain unknown.Scoliotic animal models play an important role in the etiologic research of idiopathic scoliosis. Since Thillard et al reported that pinealectomy could induce scoliosis in chicken, the role of pineal gland and its secreted hormone melatonin in the pathogenesis of idiopathic scoliosis have been explored extensively by many authoers. Recently, Machida et al reported pinealectomy could induce scoliosis in biped rat. But the pathogenesis of scoliosis in this model need further research.The progression of idiopathic scoliosis is related to spinal growth. When the patients have much growth potential, the risk of curve aggravation is high. As we kown, the spinal growth relay on the vertebral growth plate. Although several studies revealed that the abnormalities of vertebra growth might be a primary cause of scoliosis, few of them focued on the histologic investigation of the growth plate because of difficulties of obtaining patients growth plate specimen. We study the vertebral growth plate of the biped scoliotic model and try to investigate its role in the pathogenesis of idiopathic scoliosis.