PREDICTION OF SCOLIOTIC COBB ANGLE WITH THE USE OF THE SCOLIOMETER

Study Design. A prospective study was conducted in a young homogenous adolescent population, with the use of the scoliometer. Objectives. To create a mathematic formula that provides the accurate Cobb angle of idiopathic scoliosis with the use of the scoliometer only. Summary of Background Data. The scoliometer is an accepted method for detection a nd evaluation of scoliosis during screening programs. To the authors' knowledge, there are no previous methods and formulas to estimate the approximate Cobb angle using only the scoliometer. Methods. Several cl inical (scoliometer value, age, and sex) and radiographic (Cobb angle, Perdriolle of the apical vertebra, Risser iliac apophysis classificat ion) para meters from 442 (4.37%) of 10,109 screened adolescents who h ad a scoliometer value of at least 7 degrees were taken and correlated using the simple and multiple linear regression analysis. Results. Co bb angle and scoliometer value were statistically significantly correl ated to each other. Two mathematic formulas were created to predict th e Cobb angle of the thoracic and lumbar scoliosis, with similar sensit ivity and accuracy. The thoracic and lumbar scoliometer values were st atistic significantly correlated with the thoracic and lumbar Cobb ang le (P = 0.0254 and P = 0.0015, respectively). The lumbar scoliometer v alue was significantly correlated with lumbar apical vertebra Perdriol le value. Also, the thoracic and lumbar Cobb angles were significantly correlated with thoracic and lumbar apical vertebra (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.0015, respectively). Conclusions. In the present study, the autho rs have constructed two mathematic formulas, which provide accurately the scoliotic Cobb, angle in young adolescents using only the scoliome ter with a deviation of 5.63 degrees for thoracic curves and 5.79 degr ees for lumbar curves. The authors recommend that all physicians engag ed in scoliosis screening programs use the scoliometer based on the ma thematic formulas that the authors developed. They believe that this m ethod will reduce the cost of school screening programs, the overdiagn osis, and the unnecessary exposure to irradiation of this young popula tion in the future.