Expression Of Collagen Type Ⅱ And TGF-β1, BFGF In Articular Process Cartilages Of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

BACKGROUNDScoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine when viewed in the coronal plane and the standing degree of Cobb's angle is beyond 10. It often invoves many vertebrae and often combines with rotation. So it is a three-dimensional deformity. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most common spinal deformity among children which its etiology is not clear yet. Scoliosis is harmful to growth and cardiac or pulmonary function, and even can seriously hurt the mentality of the young patients, so early preventation, diagnosis and treatment are very important. Though many investigators have done a lot of researches and have found lots of possible nosogenetic factors, the real etiology has not been clear yet. The articular processes are the main part of the posterior column of Denis three-column theory and mainly maintain the balance and stability of the spine. Collagens are the main supportive protein of connective tissue and form the frames among cells. Collagen type II is the main component in the articular process cartilage. Cytokines can regulate the proliferation and differentiation of cells and play an important role in processes of pathology and normal growth. Mutations of these components may cause the abnormal growth and development of the articular process cartilages of spine. Then the growth of the anterior column of spine is faster than the posterier column. And also they can cause the unsymmetrical development of vertebral arches in the left side and right side. All these mechanisms can cause the spine produce lordosis and scoliosis, then the scoliosis combining rotation may take place and aggravate gradually especially in puberty. The expression of collagens and cytokines in the articular process cartilages of AIS has not been reported by now.