Growth and maturation of adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis.

The growth and maturation of 409 adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis was prospectively observed and analyzed. Growth of children with scoliosis did not appear to differ from that of their normal peers. However, when measurement of growth was corrected for skeletal age, the children with scoliosis were found to be taller and heavier. Both boys and girls with scoliosis were found to be taller and heavier. Both boys and girls with scoliosis showed a significant tendency for delay in skeletal age (P less than 0.0001), and the girls showed a significant tendency for a delay of puberty (P less than 0.0001). The late skeletal and sexual development observed for the entire series was even more apparent for the girls, for whom spinal curvature exceeded 20 degrees (P less than 0.0001). The authors urge that a menstrual history and a skeletal age determination be included in the initial examination of patients with scoliosis.