Validation of a topography system for evaluation spine in sagittal plane for children in different nutrient profiles

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to determine the validity, repeatability and inter-evaluator reproducibility of the Vert 3D system in evaluating thoracic and lumbar curvatures of children with different nutritional profiles. A total of 115 children participated, which were divided into 3 groups: low weight and eutrophic, overweight, and obese. Each child underwent a panoramic radiography exam of the spine in right profile, from which we obtained Cobb angles for thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis, in addition to being evaluated with the Vert 3D topography system, five times in the same day, immediately after radiological evaluation. Evaluations were conducted by three independent evaluators and provided the Vert angles for thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis. Using the SPSS software, data were submitted to Pearson Product-moment Correlation Coefficient, Intra-class Correlation Coefficient, paired t-test and one-way ANOVA. Vert 3D system presented excellent levels of repeatability and inter-evaluator reproducibility, regardless of the nutritional profile evaluated, for angles of thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis, but showed low correlation with Cobb angle for thoracic kyphosis and moderate correlation for lumbar lordosis. These results indicate that this system can be used in the clinical follow-up of postural alterations of spine in sagittal plane, of children with all nutritional profiles, but cannot be used as a means of diagnosis or for the purpose of estimating the Cobb angle.