Proprioceptive accuracy in idiopathic scoliosis.

Defects in proprioceptive postural control have been linked to the etiology of idiopathic scoliosis. In particular, a rearrangement of the internal representation of the body has been proposed in these cases. In this study, upper-extremity proprioceptive accuracy was compared among the following groups: 1) patients with idiopathic scoliosis (n = 25); 2) subjects with nonprogressive spinal asymmetry detected by screening in school (n = 23); 3) subjects undergoing behavioral training for nocturnal enuresis (n = 17); and 4) normal subjects (n = 134). A significant inaccuracy was found among the right-handed subjects of the scoliosis and spinal asymmetry groups as compared to the normal group. It is postulated that proprioceptive dysfunction, or borderline function, is a causative factor of spinal asymmetry, which is often observed in early adolescence and which in some cases may be progressive.