Scoliosis in School- Aged Children

Abstract

Context: Scoliosis is a frequent pathology in school aged children that may become a concern for parents and can challenge for practitioners and family doctors. The aim of the study is to make a comprehensive overview concerning scoliosis in school-aged children as well as elucidate red flags and related referral criteria for general practitioners that have to deal with school-aged children in their daily practice. EvidenceAcquisition: This article does not aim to be a systematic review as we have not applied a strict methodology. We conducted a bibliography search limited to MEDLINE and expanded with a search of the publications cited in the selected articles. Results: The scoliosis research society (SRS) advise on annual examination of all children between the prepubertal period and 14 years of age. American academy of pediatrics (AAP), recommend a screening school children program between 10 to 16 years of age. These societies reported that school scans were necessary and useful for scoliosis, they emphasize on the benefits of receiving an early diagnosis and treatment of spinal deformities; thus, avoiding future surgical interventions. Conclusions: Early diagnosis of scoliosis and assessment of the risk of curve progression is critical in school aged children. There is still a need for a large cohort study to ensure reliable consequences of school scoliosis screening programs.