Prevalence and Clinical Correlates of Intraspinal and Vertebral Anomalies in Congenital, Adolescent…

Cohort studySaudi medical journal· Aug 2026

Prevalence and Clinical Correlates of Intraspinal and Vertebral Anomalies in Congenital, Adolescent Idiopathic, and New-Onset Scoliosis: A Comparative Study in Saudi Arabia .

Faisal M Alkhunein, Mishari N Alanezi, Nwaf A Alshahir … Abdulmajeed A Alzakri

Spine SurgeryCohort studyDiagnosisQ3IF 1.4

Congenital scoliosis is associated with much higher rates of intraspinal anomalies than idiopathic scoliosis.

Prevalence and Clinical Correlates of Intraspinal and Vertebral Anomalies in Congenital, Adolescent Idiopathic, and New-Onset Scoliosis: A Comparative Study in Saudi Arabia .

Faisal M Alkhunein … Abdulmajeed A Alzakri

Saudi medical journal · Aug 2026 · Q3 in General Medicine

Purpose

To explore the prevalence of and clinical associations between intraspinal and vertebral abnormalities in patients with congenital scoliosis (congenital scoliosis), adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (adolescent idiopathic scoliosis), and early-onset scoliosis in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

This retrospective cohort investigation included patients aged 18 years or younger diagnosed with congenital scoliosis, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, or new-onset idiopathic scoliosis who underwent full-spine magnetic resonance imaging between 2015 and 2025 at a tertiary center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

n = 127 patients

Results

intraspinal anomalies were far more common with congenital than idiopathic scoliosis

Congenital scoliosis

24%

Idiopathic scoliosis

3.9%

More results

A total of 127 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria; idiopathic scoliosis accounted for 80.3% and congenital scoliosis for 19.7%.

Low conus was the most common anomaly (40%).

More results

Vertebral defects in congenital scoliosis were mainly failures of formation (76%), most commonly hemivertebrae, predominantly affecting the thoracic spine.

Congenital scoliosis was significantly associated with a higher incidence of intraspinal anomalies ( p = 0.004).

“

Conclusion

Intraspinal anomalies were substantially more common in congenital scoliosis than in idiopathic forms in this Saudi cohort, underscoring the importance of routine preoperative magnetic resonance imaging to guide risk assessment and surgical planning.

Prevalence and Clinical Correlates of Intraspinal and Vertebral Anomalies in Congenital, Adolescent Idiopathic, and New-Onset Scoliosis: A Comparative Study in Saudi Arabia .

Prevalence and Clinical Correlates of Intraspinal and Vertebral Anomalies in Congenital, Adolescent Idiopathic, and New-Onset Scoliosis: A Comparative Study in Saudi Arabia .

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