Frequent x-rays used to track scoliosis in children may expose patients to dangerous levels of radiation. Patients are x-rayed about every six months during faster growth periods. But new laser technology being tested in Calgary may soon make it safer to monitor this condition.
Heritage-funded Ph.D. student Steve Boyd is one of several U of C researchers involved in a collaborative project with École Polytechnique at the Université de Montréal. Heritage Senior Scholar Dr. Ron Zernicke is one of four principal investigators coordinating the project. Mr. Boyd and other members of the research team are using harmless 3D laser scans instead of x-rays to measure the torsos of afflicted patients. If the study is successful, patients will need fewer x-rays to evaluate and treat their condition. Multiple x-ray exposure may increase the risk of leukemia for children with scoliosis by 5%.
Scoliosis is a back deformity marked by sideways curving, or twisting of the spine. There may be as many as 94,000 Canadian children between 11 and 14 years of age afflicted with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS). Girls with AIS outnumber boys by a ratio of 5 to 1. Many medical conditions, such as cerebral palsy, can cause scoliosis, but in most cases its cause is unknown. Treatment may involve surgery or back braces. Untreated scoliosis may lead to permanent, and sometimes crippling, deformities and possible arthritic problems later in life.
Other researchers have had limited success estimating spinal deformity by measuring the contours of the back alone. This is the first study to use measurements of the entire torso to estimate deformity. Present methods of analyzing back x-rays give health care professionals a flat perspective of the degree of spinal curvature. Mr. Boyd and his colleagues hope that obtaining 3D measurements of the entire torso, including the surfaces of the back and the rib cage, will provide better indications of spinal deformity. Thirty-six patients diagnosed with AIS from the Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary are expected to participate in the first phase of the study, which will last two years. So far, a preliminary group of 14 patients have been measured with both the laser scanner and the 3D x-ray. Two spinal x-rays are taken of each patient, along with 3D laser scans. The laser scans are then sent to Montreal for analysis.
Mr. Boyd completed his Masters of Science in May 1997. He began his Ph.D. work last fall. "Biomechanics is a very interesting application of my engineering skills toward research on the human body. The work environment in the Human Performance Lab at the U of C and at the McCaig Centre for Joint Injury and Arthritis Research Group provides a multi-disciplinary atmosphere where I can learn from medical experts and apply my skills," he explains. In addition to his work on scoliosis, Mr. Boyd is conducting a study on bone density which he hopes will provide a better understanding of how bone remodels after joint injury.
Steve Boyd receives support for his work through an AHFMR studentship, the Fraternal Order of Eagles of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation. Partners in the AIS research project include the Alberta Children's Hospital, Clynch Technologies, the University of Calgary, and Université de Montréal.
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