Idiopathic Scoliosis Screening

Scoliosis is a pathology of the spine prevalent among children, adolescents, and young adults and affects about 1% to 13.8% of children and adolescents. Scoliosis is defined as a lateral curvature of the spine equal to or greater than 10o (ten degrees), diagnosed by simple radiographic examination. Typically, patients with scoliosis have ample thoracic and limb functional capacity. However, late diagnosis cases that present curvature progression may present cardiopulmonary complications due to the deformity of the rib cage. The treatment of patients with scoliosis ranges from observation, use of a brace, and surgery, and the prognosis is related to the degree of curvature. Therefore, early diagnosis is fundamental to guide treatment and avoid progression of the curvature. The aim of this study is to verify the parameters of higher interobserver correlation of the several variables of the physical examination of idiopathic scoliosis with the help of an application developed for a smartphone. Our study will serve as a basis for future validation of the application as an effective tool in idiopathic scoliosis screening.