Trunk asymmetry and scoliosis, Anthropometric measurements in prepuberal school children.

A total of 1060 children (515 girls, 545 boys) were examined for screening of trunk asymmetry ans scoliosis at an average age of 10.8 years. The physical examination consisted of height, sitting height, total arm length and leg length inequality determinations and moiré topography. Trunk asymmetry was measured by forward bending test and a posteroanterior standing radiograph of the spine was taken of those 188 (17.7%) children who had a trunk hump greater than or equal to 6 mm. Only 20.1% of the children were found to be exactly symmetric in the forward bending test, 47.3% had a right-sided hump and 32.6% had a left-side hump. Humps of 6 mm or more were significantly (p = 0.03) more prevalent among girls (21.7%) than boys (16.3%). Moré fringe asymmetry was provided to be common: only 9% of the material was totally symmetric, two thirds has asymmetry of less than or equal to 1 fringe, 26.6% has asymmetry greater than 1 and less than or equal or 2 and 5.4% greater than 2. The prevalence of scoliosis (trunk hump greater than or equal to 6 mm and Cobb angle less than or equal to 10 degree) was 4.1%. The majority (72.1%) of the curves were left convex.