%0 Journal Article
%T School screening for scoliosis: can surface topography replace examination with scoliometer?
%A Joanna Chowanska
%A Tomasz Kotwicki
%A Krzysztof Rosadzinski
%A Zbigniew Sliwinski
%J Scoliosis
%D 2012
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1748-7161-7-9
%X 996 girls aged 9 to 13 years were examined, with both scoliometer and surface topography. The Surface Trunk Rotation (STR) was introduced and defined as a parameter allowing comparison with scoliometer Angle of Trunk Rotation taken as reference.Intra-observer error for STR parameter was 1.9กใ, inter-observer error was 0.8กใ. Sensitivity and specificity of ST were not satisfactory, the screening cut-off value of the surface topography parameter could not be established.The study did not reveal advantage of ST as a scoliosis screening method in comparison to clinical examination with the use of the scoliometer.Idiopathic scoliosis is a three-dimensional developmental deformity of the spine. It affects about 2 - 3% of adolescents population [1-3]. Scoliosis progression occurs more frequently among girls and during puberty, which contributes to the fact that young females of 10 to 12 years old are the most susceptible to occurrence and progression of scoliosis [4].Scoliosis screening is a broadly discussed topic [3,5-11]. Arguments against screening exist: (1) low predictive value leading to excessive number of children referred to specialists; (2) possibly increased amount of x-ray imaging in children; (3) lack of certainty about which small scoliosis (below 20กใ of Cobb angle) will progress and require treatment; (4) cost issue and (5) stress induced by examination [12,13]. Despite those facts, screening is the most important factor preventing from the deformity progression. It has been reported that early scoliosis detection allows early treatment with better outcome [1,5,6,9,14-17].Scoliosis screening has not been designed to serve as a diagnostic method. Its main purpose is to select children with high probability of occurrence of idiopathic scoliosis out of total population. The most important criteria for screening test are: accuracy, reproducibility, sensitivity and specificity. The screening test should be quick, cheap, easy to perform, safe, noninvasive, acceptab
%K Idiopathic scoliosis
%K Scoliosis school screening
%K Scoliometer
%K Surface topography
%U http://www.scoliosisjournal.com/content/7/1/9