Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39810037›Full record

ArticleEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2025

Can surface topography reliably determine the Rigo classification system?

Natalie Schmidt, Adam Thiessen, Marissa Selthafner, Xue-Cheng Liu

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Article in European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Letter to the Editor concerning "Can surface topography reliably determine the Rigo classification system?" by N. Schmidt, et al. (Eur spine J [2025]: doi: 10.1007/s00586-024-08611-0).European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2025
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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Natalie SchmidtDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA.
Adam ThiessenDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA.
Marissa SelthafnerChildren's Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA.
Xue-Cheng LiuDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA. xcliu@mcw.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeNo studies have explored the reliability of the Rigo classification system using surface topography (ST), which would allow optimization without radiation exposure. This study aims to measure and compare the intra- and inter-observer reliability (Kappa values) and accuracy of the Rigo system between ST and X-ray for overall types and subtypes.

methodsX-ray and ST images of 31 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients were selected. Three investigators were blinded to assess images using the Rigo system, twice for each patient on different weeks, with 372 overall image readings. Afterwards, all investigators agreed upon the correct Rigo scores for finalized classifications.

resultsFor Rigo types, the average intra-observer Kappa value was slightly better for ST (0.77, p<0.001) than X-ray (0.75, p<0.001). For Rigo subtypes, the average intra-observer Kappa value was again slightly better for ST (0.74, p<0.001) than X-ray (0.65, p<0.001). The inter-observer reliability was expectedly lower than intra-observer, with ST (0.53, p<0.001) comparable to X-ray (0.54, p<0.001) for the type. For subtype inter-observer reliability, ST (0.43, p<0.001) was slightly better than X-ray (0.36, p<0.001). For the type, the overall accuracy of the observers was slightly lower for ST (77.96%) than X-ray (79.57%). For the subtype, the accuracy of observers was slightly higher for ST (70.97%) than X-ray (65.05%).

conclusionST-based Rigo system demonstrates very good intra-rater reproducibility and moderately good inter-rater reproducibility. Surface topography is comparable to X-ray for the Rigo system, and therefore can be considered a reliable alternative in clinical application.

Indexed as

ScoliosisAdolescentChildFemaleHumansMaleObserver VariationRadiographyReproducibility of ResultsIdiopathic scoliosisRadiographyReliabilityRigo classificationSurface topography

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.