Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis--early menarche, normal growth.

Growth has long been known to be relevant to the development and prognosis of spinal deformity and abnormalities have been considered in the etiology of idiopathic scoliosis. Age at menarche, as an indicator of puberty, in 303 girls with idiopathic scoliosis 10 degrees or more from the Dublin school screening program was 13.13 years, 0.39 years earlier than the national mean for Irish girls. This difference is statistically significant (P < 0.01). The heights of 214 of these girls aged 10-15.5 years at diagnosis and at least 14 years at follow-up, after a minimum 6 months, were compared with the national standards. It was found that, although those diagnosed at a younger age were generally taller than their peers, this was not true for those diagnosed at a later age or for anyone at final follow-up. This points to an early pubertal growth spurt in girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis but not to any outright abnormality of growth or development.