Does the Use of Sanders Staging and Distal Radius and Ulna Classification Avoid Mismatches in Growth Assessment with Risser Staging Alone?
Authors: Cheung Prudence Wing Hang , Cheung Jason Pui Yin 
Published: May 2021

Background

Although Risser stages are visible on the same radiograph of the spine, Risser staging is criticized for its insensitivity in estimating the remaining growth potential and its weak correlation with curve progression in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Risser staging is frequently accompanied by other skeletal maturity indices to increase its precision for assessing pubertal growth. However, it remains unknown whether there is any discrepancy between various maturity parameters and the extent of this discrepancy when these indices are used concurrently to assess pubertal growth landmarks, which are important for the timing of brace initiation and weaning.

Questions/purposes

(1) What is the chronologic order of skeletal maturity grades based on the growth rate and curve progression rate in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis? (2) What are the discrepancies among the grades of each maturity index for indicating the peak growth and start of the growth plateau, and how do these indices correspond to each other? (3) What is the effectiveness of Risser staging, Sanders staging, and the distal radius and ulna classification in assessing peak growth and the beginning of the growth plateau?

Methods

Between 2014 and 2017, a total of 13,536 patients diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were treated at our tertiary clinic. Of those, 3864 patients with a radiograph of the left hand and wrist and a posteroanterior radiograph of the spine at the same visits including initial presentation were considered potentially eligible for this study. Minimum follow-up was defined as 6 months from the first visit, and the follow-up duration was defined as 2 years since initial consultation. In all, 48% (1867 of 3864) of patients were eligible, of which 26% (485 of 1867) were excluded because they were prescribed bracing at the first consultation. These patients visited the subsequent clinics wearing the brace, which might have affected body height measurement. Six percent (117 of 1867) of eligible patients were also excluded as their major coronal Cobb angle reached the surgical threshold of 50° and had undergone surgery before skeletal maturity. Another 21% (387 of 1867) of patients were lost before minimum follow-up or had incomplete data, leaving 47% (878) for analysis. These 878 patients with 1139 skeletal maturity assessments were studied; 74% (648 of 878) were girls. Standing body height was measured in a standardized manner by a wall-mounted stadiometer. Several surgeons measured curve magnitude as per routine clinical consultation, skeletal maturity was measured according to the distal radius and ulna classification, and two raters measured Risser and Sanders stages. Reliability tests were performed with satisfaction. Data were collected for the included patients at multiple points when skeletal maturity was assessed, and only up to when brace wear started for those who eventually had bracing. The growth rate and curve progression rate were calculated by the change of body height and major coronal Cobb angle over the number of months elapsed between the initial visit and next follow-up. At each skeletal maturity grading, we examined the growth rate (in centimeters per month) and curve progression rate (in degrees per month) since the skeletal maturity assessment, as well as the mean age at which this maturity grading occurred. Each patient was then individually assessed for whether he or she was experiencing peak growth and the beginning of growth plateau at each timepoint by comparing the calculated growth rate with the previously defined peak growth rate of ≥ 0.7 cm per month and the beginning of growth plateau rate of ≤ 0.15 cm per month in this adolescent idiopathic scoliosis population. Among the timepoints at which the peak growth and the beginning of growth plateau occurred, the median maturity grade of each maturity index was identified as the benchmark grade for comparison between indices. We used the McNemar test to investigate whether pubertal growth landmarks were identified by specific maturity grades concurrently. We assessed the effectiveness of these skeletal maturity indices by the difference in proportions (%) between two benchmark grades in indicating peak growth and the growth plateau.

Results

For girls, the chronological order of maturity grades that indicated peak growth was the radius grade, ulna grade, Sanders stage, and Risser stage. Curve progression peaked between the age of 11.6 and 12.1 years at a similar timing by all maturity indices for girls but was inconsistent for boys. For both sexes, radius (R) grade 6, ulna (U) grade 5, Sanders stage (SS) 3, and Risser stage 0+ were the median grades for peak growth, whereas Risser stage 4, R8/9, U7/8, and SS6/7 indicated the beginning of the growth plateau. The largest discrepancy between maturity indices was represented by Risser stage 0+, which corresponded to six grades of the Sanders staging system (SS2 to SS7) and to R6 in only 41% (62 of 152) of girls in the whole cohort. Despite Risser stage 0+ corresponding to the wide range of Sanders and distal radius and ulna grades, none of the R6, U5, SS3, and Risser stage 0+ was found more effective than another grade in indicating the peak growth in girls. R6 most effectively indicated the peak growth in boys, and Risser stage 0+ was the least effective. For the beginning of the growth plateau in girls, SS6/7 was the most effective indicator, followed by U7/8. Risser stage 4 was the least effective because it indicated 29% (95% CI 21% to 36%; p < 0.001) fewer patients who reached the beginning of the growth plateau than did those with R8/9. Risser stage 4 also indicated 36% (95% CI 28% to 43%; p < 0.001) fewer patients who reached the beginning of the growth plateau than those indicated by U7/8, and it identified 39% fewer patients than SS6/7 (95% CI 32% to 47%; p < 0.001). For boys, similarly, R8/9, U7/8, and SS6/7 were all more effective than Risser stage 4 in identifying when the growth plateau began.

Conclusion

Risser stage 0+ corresponds to a wide range of Sanders and distal radius and ulna grades. Risser stage 0+ is least effective in indicating the peak growth in boys, and Risser stage 4 is the least effective maturity grade for indicating when the growth plateau starts in both sexes. The concurrent use of R6 and SS3 can be useful for detecting the peak growth, and SS6/7 in conjunction with U7/8 is most effective in indicating the beginning of the growth plateau. Using a combination of specific grades of Sanders staging and the distal radius and ulna classification can indicate pubertal growth landmarks with reduced risk of underestimating or overestimating skeletal maturity. These findings may aid in refining clinical decision-making of brace initiation and weaning at a more precise timing. Among Risser stage 0, the appearance of R6, U5, and SS3 provide the most effective assessment of peak growth that can indicate the most effective bracing period within which curve progression occurs. For initiation of the growth plateau, Risser 4 is not useful, and SS6/7, R8/9 and U7/8 should be used instead.

Level of Evidence

Level III, diagnostic study.