Should all paediatric patients with presumed idiopathic scoliosis undergo MRI screening for neuro-axial disease?

Idiopathic scoliosis is a relatively common childhood condition affecting 0.47–5.2% of the population. Traditional interventions focus on orthopaedic correction of the curve angle. There is a spectrum of patients with scoliosis who are found to have neuro-axial abnormality on full MRI of the spine, but not all surgeons request imaging in the absence of neurological symptoms. There is evidence to suggest that treatment of neuro-axial disease may...