MORPHOLOGIC DISCRIMINATION AMONG HEALTHY-SUBJECTS AND PATIENTS WITH PROGRESSIVE AND NONPROGRESSIVE ADOLESCENT IDIOPATHIC SCOLIOSIS

Study Design. A prospective and controlled comparative study. Objectiv es. To identify variables that would allow discrimination among patien ts with progressive adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, patients with non progressive adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, and control subjects. Sum mary of Background Data. In a previous study, the correlation was demo nstrated between morphologic somatotypes and adolescent idiopathic sco liosis. Methods. One hundred forty-six subjects were evaluated anthrop ometrically and were classified according to their morphologic somatot ype. Of these subjects, 52 were adolescent girls with progressive idio pathic scoliosis, whereas 32 girls had nonprogressive idiopathic scoli osis. The control group was composed of 62 healthy adolescent girls. S omatotype values for ectomorphism, mesomorphism, and endomorphism were obtained according to a technique based on Sheldon's method, and 77 a nthropometric measurements of segments of the thorax, head, and limbs were taken. Results. The discriminant analysis realized on a subset of 18 variables allowed the correct identification of each subject's gro up in 84% of the cases. Conclusions. It is possible to differentiate h ealthy adolescent subjects, patients with nonprogressive adolescent id iopathic scoliosis, and patients with progressive idiopathic scoliosis by using anthropometric measurements and morphologic classification. These findings may be useful in the early detection of children at ris k for progression of scoliosis and may allow earlier application of tr eatment methods without waiting for a significant increase in the curv e.