title: Somatosensory testing in idiopathic scoliosis.
abstract: Sixty-seven consecutive patients (59 females, eight males; mean age 13.6 years, age range 8.1 to 18 years) with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were evaluated for segmental dystonia, thermal and vibratory thresholds, and cortical somatosensory evoked potentials (cSEPs). Clinically, there were no signs of segmental dystonia. No significant side difference was found in cSEPs and thermal thresholds. Vibration thresholds were increased on the right side with a significant side difference at all sites. However, these changes did not correlate to curve size, rotation, curve type, or convexity. It was concluded that, at the present level of somatosensory testing, no segmental neurophysiological disturbance can be related to the appearance of idiopathic scoliosis. The importance of asymmetric vibratory thresholds measurements cannot be deduced from this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Yngvi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Olafsson
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Odergren
authors.forename: Hans E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Persson
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saraste
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004421:Dystonia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014732:Vibration