Impact of unilateral corrective tethering on the histology of the growth plate in an established porcine model for thoracic scoliosis

Histological growth plate analysis. OBJECTIVE.: To evaluate the histological effects on vertebral growth plates following corrective mechanical tethering in the porcine scoliosis model. Theoretically, growth modulation allows progressive vertebral correction in the setting of scoliosis (Hueter-Volkmann principle). This IACUC-approved study divided 9 immature Yorkshire pigs into 2 groups: deforming tether release (TR, n = 4) group and anterior corrective (AC, n = 5) tether group. Once 50° coronal Cobb was demonstrated, TR had release of the deforming tether, whereas AC had release of the deforming tether and additional placement of a corrective tether. After 20 weeks of observation, pigs were killed, spines were removed, and apical samples were prepared for histological study. Growth plate analysis included the following histological parameters: proliferative zone height, hypertrophic zone height, and cell heights within the hypertrophic zone. Student t test was used to evaluate differences within and between groups. No significant differences were found within the release group on the concave versus convex side in terms of proliferative zone height, hypertrophic zone height, and cell heights in the hypertrophic zone. In the anterior correction group, the proliferative zone height was significantly smaller on the concave side than on the convex side (P < 0.01); no significant differences were found in AC on the concave versus convex side in terms of hypertrophic zone height and cell heights in the hypertrophic zone. No significant differences were found in any parameters between TR and AC on either the concave or the convex side. No significant decrease in any of the measured parameters was observed in the anterior correction group compared with the tether release group. These histological findings are consistent with preservation of growth potential.