U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
Release Date: June 2004
Summary of Recommendation / Supporting Documents
Summary of Recommendation
- The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends against the routine screening of asymptomatic adolescents for idiopathic scoliosis.
Rating: "D" Recommendation.
Rationale: The USPSTF did not find good evidence that screening asymptomatic adolescents detects idiopathic scoliosis at an earlier stage than detection without screening. The accuracy of the most common screening test—the forward bending test with or without a scoliometer—in identifying adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis is variable, and there is evidence of poor followup of adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis who are identified in community screening programs.
The USPSTF found fair evidence that treatment of idiopathic scoliosis during adolescence leads to health benefits (decreased pain and disability) in only a small proportion of people. Most cases detected through screening will not progress to a clinically significant form of scoliosis. Scoliosis needing aggressive treatment, such as surgery, is likely to be detected without screening.
The USPSTF found fair evidence that treatment of adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis detected through screening leads to moderate harms, including unnecessary brace wear and unnecessary referral for specialty care. As a result, the USPSTF concluded that the harms of screening adolescents for idiopathic scoliosis exceed the potential benefits.
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Supporting Documents
Screening for Idiopathic Scoliosis in Adolescents, June 2004
Recommendation
Statement (PDF File, 63 KB; PDF Help)
Brief Evidence Update (PDF File, 166 KB; PDF Help)
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Current as of June 2004
Internet Citation:
Screening for Idiopathic Scoliosis in Adolescents, Topic Page. June 2004. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstf/uspsaisc.htm
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