title: [School screening for scoliosis in Sivas, Turkey].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the prevalence of scoliosis among primary school students in Sivas, Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  To determine the prevalence of scoliosis among primary school students in the age bracket of 10 to 15 years, 11 primary schools were selected with systematic sampling. A total of 3,175 students (1,538 girls, 1,637 boys) of grades 6 to 8 were selected from 16,103 students using a stratified sampling method. Examination for scoliosis was made by the forward bend test and palpation of the spine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen children (0.47%) were found to have scoliosis, including 10 girls (66.7%) and five boys (33.3%). The prevalence of scoliosis was significantly higher in girls (0.65% vs. 0.31%; p<0.05). The mean lateral curvature of the spine was 6.9 degrees (range 5 degrees to 20 degrees ), being 7.9 + or - 4.6 degrees in girls, and 5.4 + or - 0.9 degrees in boys. The mean age was 13.5 + or - 1.2 years (range 12-15 years). The severity of the curvature showed no significant relationship with gender and age groups (p>0.05). The levels of involvement were lumbar vertebrae in 73.3% (n=11), thoracic vertebrae in 13.3% (n=2), and thoracolumbar vertebrae in 13.3% (n=2). Spinal curvature was to the right side in 12 cases (80%), and to the left in three cases (20%). Girls and boys did not differ significantly with respect to the severity and direction of the curvature (p>0.05). During a two-year follow-up of children with scoliosis, no progression of the curvature was observed, including one child who wore a Milwaukee brace.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  School screenings may be performed as part of prevalence studies; however, routine school screening for scoliosis is debatable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Sivas State Hospital, Sivas, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kansu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cilli
authors.forename: Gündüz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tezeren
authors.forename: Turan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taş
authors.forename: Okay
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bulut
authors.forename: Hayati
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oztürk
authors.forename: Zekeriya
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Oztemur
authors.forename: Tansel
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Unsaldi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013131:Spine / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology