Clinical Scorecard: Prevalence and Correlation of Suspected Scoliosis with Sagittal Spinal Deviations in Early Adolescents: Findings from a School-Based Cross-Sectional Study

At a Glance

Key Highlights

• 21.2% of early adolescents exhibited combined suspected scoliosis and sagittal spinal deviations, with flattened thoracic curvature most common.
• Greater body height and lower knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) scores were significantly associated with combined spinal deviations.
• Screen time showed a limited but notable association; participants with suspected scoliosis reported more upper back pain and lower self-postural awareness.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

• Use standardized visual inspection for frontal and sagittal spinal deviations.
• Confirm suspected scoliosis with Adam's forward bending test and measure angle of trunk rotation (ATR) using a scoliometer.

Management

• Incorporate posture assessment and health education into school-based initiatives.
• Encourage healthy lifestyle behaviors to improve spinal health and reduce long-term musculoskeletal risks.

Monitoring & Follow-up

• Regular postural screening during early adolescence to identify combined spinal deviations.
• Monitor pain symptoms, especially upper back pain, and self-postural awareness.

Risks

• Combined spinal deviations may increase risk of chronic back pain and reduced functional mobility in adolescence and later life.

Patient & Prescribing Data

Early adolescents aged 12 to 14 years in school settings

Early identification of combined spinal deviations and targeted health education may mitigate progression and associated musculoskeletal complications.

Clinical Best Practices

• Perform comprehensive spinal assessments addressing both frontal and sagittal planes to detect multidimensional deviations.
• Evaluate biological factors such as body height and psychosocial factors including KAP scores to identify at-risk adolescents.
• Address behavioral factors like screen time and promote self-postural awareness through education.
• Implement school-based screening programs integrating posture assessment and health promotion.

References

• Dop et al. (2024) on prevalence of postural defects in school-aged children
• Afanasieva et al. (2020) on posture pathology and idiopathic scoliosis
• Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) model relevance to postural health