Scoliosis screening revisited: findings from the District of Columbia.

The authors performed a retrospective review of scoliosis screening data collected by school health nurses annually from 1985 to 1996. The data collected included 20 variables for all in the sixth and eighth grades and follow-up data for a portion of the referred students in the District of Columbia's public schools. During the school years 1989 to 1990 and 1995 to 1996, 52,300 students were screened for scoliosis. Of those screened, only 1,218 (2%) were referred for further evaluation. Only 47% of these students reported for care. Only 223 students (18%) provided any definitive information on the type of care or degree of curve. Findings indicate that many of the referred cases are never followed up. Thus, it is difficult to know the true prevalence of scoliosis or types of treatments provided in this population. Although the District of Columbia is modest in its referral rate, students referred are not being tracked for further diagnosis or treatment.