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Introduction: Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) is a structural spinal deformity with implications for health-related quality of life (HR-QoL). The Scoliosis Research Society-22 revised (SRS-22r) questionnaire is the standard for HR-QoL assessment. However, studies have identified limitations with the SRS-22r, including content and face validity issues, reliability concerns, and language appropriateness. This study aimed to develop and validate a patient-reported questionnaire, the Staffordshire Questionnaire for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (SQ-AIS), to assess the impact of AIS on HR-QoL., Methods: The SQ-AIS comprises six domains: general health, pain, function/activity, self-image/appearance, mental health, and intervention. Individuals with AIS aged 10-19 years and clinicians from a range of countries with expertise in AIS contributed to the testing process. Face validity and clinical applicability were assessed using Likert scales, while content validity was evaluated through a categorical binary variable (yes/no)., Results: Involving 8 AIS patients and 43 clinicians, face validity scores demonstrated an acceptable level of understanding (≥ 4/5) for both individuals with AIS and clinicians. Most individuals with AIS (85.71%) and clinicians (80.95%) affirmed that the questionnaire sufficiently covers various aspects of scoliosis, indicating a satisfactory level of content validity. Ratings for applicability to clinical practice indicated an acceptable level of practical relevance (≥ 4/5)., Discussion and Conclusion: The SQ-AIS emerges as a valid and promising tool to overcome existing challenges in AIS-related outcome assessment. Pending further validation studies, the favorable reception from the international community of clinicians suggests its potential as a new benchmark for evaluating AIS impact on HR-QoL and monitoring scoliosis management., Competing Interests: E.L., R.N., A.H., and V.J. have no other affiliations or interests apart from their core affiliation within their academic or clinical practice. N.E. is the chair of the British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists. N.C. is the current president of the International Society of Spinal Deformities and N.J. is a physiotherapist and also offers Schroth Exercise training programs. None of the authors declare any direct conflict of interest with the contents of this manuscript., (© 2024 The Author(s). Health Science Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Introduction and Aim: Scoliometry is not always included in the examination protocol of IS patients. The aim of this report is to examine the degree of correlation of Segmental Rib Index (SRI) to scoliometry, in order for SRI to be used as a surrogate of scoliometric angle of trunk rotation (ATR)., Material and Method: 66 Idiopathic Scoliosis (IS) subjects were studied, with a mean age 12.2 ± 2.9 years, 18 boys and 48 girls: 20 thoracic, 22 thoracolumbar and 24 lumbar curves. The standing lateral spine radiographs (LSR) were obtained and the Segmental Rib Index (SRI) from T1 to T12 were assessed. The ATR was documented., Results: In all 66 cases with IS the scoliometer readings (ATR) were significantly correlated to the SRI at the T6, T7 and T8 levels. In the thoracic curves SRI and ATR correlations were significant for the levels T6-T12., Discussion: It was suggested that as long as the patients doesn't have scoliometer measurements, the SRI, could be used as a surrogate for scoliometry. It was also found that in thoracic, thoracolumbar and lumbar level, in both genders, changing from the flexed position to the standing position, the mean trunk asymmetry (TA) decreases. Therefore, if these patients had their TA measured using a scoliometer during the Adams test, their body asymmetry would have been greater than that measured using the SRI method on standing LSR. Consequently, it is evident that the significantly correlated SRI used as a surrogate for the scoliometric assessment of TA is reasonably a strong surrogate., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In this opinion article, there is an analysis and discussion regarding the effects of growth on the spinal and rib cage deformities, the role of the rib cage in scoliogeny, the lateral spinal profile in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), the genetics and epigenetics of AIS, and the interesting and novel field investigating the sleep impact at nighttime on AIS in relation to the sequence of the scoliogenetic changes in scoliotics. The expressed opinions are mainly based on the published peer-reviewed research of the author and his team of co-authors. Based on the analysis noted above, it can be postulated that the vertebral growth changes in the spine during initial idiopathic scoliosis (IS) development are not primary-intrinsic but secondary changes. The primary cause starting the deformity is not located within the vertebral bodies. Instead, the deformations seen in the vertebral bodies are the secondary effects of asymmetrical loads exerted upon them, due to muscular loads, growth, and gravity.

Background: Menarche, as an important parameter in the assessment of scoliosis progression in girls, is proven to be dependent on geographical latitude. The aim of this study was to determine whether the age of menarche differs in scoliotic and non-scoliotic Balkan girls and the relationship between menarche and the laterality of scoliotic curves., Participants and Methods: This is a retrospective study with three groups: scoliotic, non-scoliotic, and control. Patient data collection and analysis were approved by the Ethical Committee of the Institute., Statistical Analysis: The SPSS 24 program was used, and we employed One-way ANOVA, Fisher's, and Chi-squared tests to compare different groups. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05., Results: No statistically significant difference was found in the age of menarche between the three groups ( p = 0.168). In the scoliotic postmenarchal group, the primary right curve was dominant in 54.80%, while in the scoliotic premenarchal group, the primary left curve was dominant in 60.09% ( p < 0.01)., Conclusion: In Balkan girls from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, there was no significant difference in the age of menarche between scoliotic and non-scoliotic girls. A significant difference was found in the laterality of the primary curve in premenarchal and postmenarchal scoliotic girls.

The aim of this report is to evaluate the segmental rib index (RI) from the T1 to T12 spinal levels in mild and moderate idiopathic scoliosis (IS) curves of thoracic, thoracolumbar and lumbar type by gender. The relationship of segmental RI to the frontal plane radiological deformity presented as the Cobb angle and to the posterior truncal surface deformity presented as the scoliometric readings of Angle of Trunk Rotation (ATR) in these patients is also assessed. Any statistically significant relationship between these parameters would be very important for biomechanical relations in rib cage (RC) deformity presented as rib hump deformity (RHD) and deformity in the spine, and would thus provide valuable information about scoliogeny. The segmental rib index (RI) is presented in 83 boys and girls with mild and moderate IS. The measurements include the scoliometric readings for truncal asymmetry (TA), the Cobb angle assessment and the segmental RI from T1-T12. The statistical package SPSS 23 was used for statistical analysis. The TA was documented and the Cobb angle is presented by gender and curve type. The segmental RI of thoracic, thoracolumbar and lumbar curves are presented for the first time. The correlations of the segmental RI to surface deformity presented as rib hump deformity (RHD) in all IS patients, and particularly in thoracic curves, to Cobb angle by gender and age and the comparison of the segmental RI index of asymmetric but not scoliotic children to the scoliotic peers by curve (in thoracic, thoracolumbar, lumbar curves) in boys and girls are presented. The findings emphasize the significant protagonistic role of thoracic asymmetry in relation to the spinal deformity, mainly in girls for the thoracic and in boys for the thoracolumbar curves. The cut-off point of age of the examined scoliotics was 14 years, which is when the RI shows a stronger correlation with spinal deformity, namely when thoracic deformity is decisively effective in the development of thoracic spinal deformity, in terms of Cobb angle. In summary, the results of this study may provide scoliogenic implications for IS, as far as the role of the thorax is concerned.

(1) Background: Frequent exposure to ionising radiation is often used to determine the diagnosis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), a lateral curvature of the spine in those aged between 10 and 18 years, and a treatment plan according to Cobb angle. This narrative review outlines the clinical utility of surface topography (ST), a radiation-free imaging modality. (2) Methods: Publicly available databases were searched to yield literature related to ST. Identified articles were classified based on the equipment used and in order of how it was developed, i.e., historical, recent developments, and state-of-the-art developments. (3) Conclusions: ST is a reliable cost-effective non-invasive technique that provides an alternative to radiation-based imaging to aid with the diagnosis and potential screening of AIS. Several scanning methods are available, which allows ST to be used in several clinical environments. Limitations of inter-reliability and differences of apparatus resulting in variations of data have been noted through this narrative review.