CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, 3175, Chemin de la Côte Sainte-Catherine Montréal (QC), Canada.
Med Hypotheses. 2011 Mar;76(3):438-40. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2010.11.015. Epub 2010 Dec 10.
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a condition characterized by a three-dimensional structural deformity of the spine. It is the most common type of spine deformity occurring in children aged 10 to maturity. Although the etiology of AIS still remains unknown, the role of genetic factors in the development of idiopathic scoliosis is widely accepted. However, to date no causative genes of AIS have been identified. Recently, the semicircular canals, which are part of the inner ear, were found to be morphologically abnormal in idiopathic scoliosis patients. Here we hypothesized that genetic predisposition to inner ear anomalies in AIS patients may be a strong factor in the generation of idiopathic scoliosis. The proposed idea is that gene defects could impair the development of the semicircular canals. A malformation of semicircular canals might affect the transmission of sensory signal about rotational movement of the body to the central nervous system; leading to an alteration in the neuronal circuit of balance. This will in turn affect body posture and results in the initiation of the curvature of the spine. This hypothesis may provide new insights in the understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of idiopathic scoliosis. It can also offer hopes for potential early prediction of scoliosis.
青少年特发性脊柱侧凸（AIS）是一种以脊柱三维结构畸形为特征的疾病。它是儿童 10 岁至成熟期间最常见的脊柱畸形类型。尽管 AIS 的病因仍不清楚，但遗传因素在特发性脊柱侧凸的发展中的作用已被广泛接受。然而，迄今为止，尚未发现 AIS 的致病基因。最近，发现特发性脊柱侧凸患者的内耳半规管在形态上异常。在这里，我们假设 AIS 患者内耳异常的遗传易感性可能是特发性脊柱侧凸产生的一个重要因素。提出的观点是，基因缺陷可能会损害半规管的发育。半规管畸形可能会影响身体旋转运动的感觉信号向中枢神经系统的传递，从而导致平衡神经元回路的改变。这反过来又会影响身体姿势，并导致脊柱弯曲的开始。这一假设可能为理解特发性脊柱侧凸的病理生理机制提供新的见解。它还为脊柱侧凸的潜在早期预测提供了希望。
