SCHOOL SCREENING FOR SCOLIOSIS IN RIYADH

We screened 4018 Riyadh schoolgirls aged from 10 to 17 for scoliosis. The initial screening, using the Forward-Bending Test, showed that 173 children (4.3%) had spinal asymmetry. The criteria for diagnosis was a Cobb angle of 5-degrees or more. The overall prevalence of structura l scoliosis was 3.6%. The documented false-positive rate was 16.7%. Th e prevalence of curves of 10-degrees or more was 1.59%; of 20-degrees or more 0.37%. All scolioses were idiopathic, except for two congenita l curves and three neuromuscular residuum of poliomyelitis. The preval ence rate of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis was 3.46%.