METHOD FOR MONITORING EFFECTIVENESS OF TREATING SCOLIOTIC DEFORMITY IN THORACIC SPINE Russian patent published in 2024 - IPC A61B5/107 A61B6/00 

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: invention refers to medicine, namely to orthopaedics, vertebrology, radiography. Method involves determining the value of intercostal spaces on radiographs in dynamics. For this purpose, midclavicular lines are drawn from the level of clavicles vertically downwards on the corresponding radiographs in frontal projection. Vertebra corresponding to the apex of the scoliotic deformation – an apex – is determined on any of the radiographs. Further, on each of the two midclavicular lines, the length of a segment between adjacent ribs – an apex rib and an rib located above or below it – from a lower edge of an overlying rib to an upper edge of an underlying rib is measured. Length of this segment is taken as the value of the intercostal space, on the left and on the right, respectively. In dynamics, calculating the ratio of a segment of a larger value to a smaller one before and after the treatment of scoliotic deformity. Difference in the values of this ratio before and after the treatment is used to determine the effectiveness of the treatment: if the difference is within range of 0.4 to 1.0, the treatment is considered to be effective; if the difference is less than 0.4 – ineffective.

EFFECT: method makes it possible to simply, accurately, objectively and quickly assess and monitor the effectiveness of treating scoliotic deformation of the thoracic spine and the degree of associated respiratory and cardiovascular disorders without the need for additional studies of these functions, as well as without the need for comparative scaling of X-ray images obtained on different devices under different conditions, with any image quality, with any deformations of the ribs.

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