The prevalence of idiopathic scoliosis in eleven year-old Korean adolescents: a 3 year epidemiological study.
OBJECTIVE
School screening allows for early detection and early treatment of scoliosis, with the purpose of reducing the number of patients requiring surgical treatment. Children between 10 and 14 years old are considered as good candidates for school screening tests of scoliosis. The purpose of the present study was to assess the epidemiological findings of idiopathic scoliosis in 11-year-old Korean adolescents.


METHODS
A total of 37856 11-year-old adolescents were screened for scoliosis. There were 17110 girls and 20746 boys. Adolescents who were abnormal by Moire topography were subsequently assessed by standardized clinical and radiological examinations. A scoliotic curve was defined as 10° or more.


RESULTS
The prevalence of scoliosis was 0.19% and most of the curves were small (10° to 19°). The ratio of boys to girls was 1:5.5 overall. Sixty adolescents (84.5%) exhibited single curvature. Thoracolumbar curves were the most common type of curve identified, followed by thoracic and lumbar curves.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of idiopathic scoliosis among 11-year-old Korean adolescents was 0.19%.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Medical College of Hallym University, Seoul, Korea.
Jin-Young
JY
Lee
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Seong-Hwan
SH
Moon
Spine and Scoliosis Service, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, USA.
Han Jo
HJ
Kim
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Medical College of Hallym University, Anyang, Korea.
Moon Soo
MS
Park
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Medical College of Hallym University, Anyang, Korea.
Bo-Kyung
BK
Suh
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Medical College of Hallym University, Anyang, Korea.
Ji Hoon
JH
Nam
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Medical College of Hallym University, Anyang, Korea.
Jae Kyun
JK
Jung
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Hwan-Mo
HM
Lee
D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000453:epidemiology*
11-year-old adolescents; Idiopathic scoliosis; Korea; prevalence