Spinal mobility in adolescent girls with idiopathic scoliosis and in structurally normal controls.

Spinal mobility and posture were studied in 29 adolescent girls (mean age, 13.9 years) with thoracal idiopathic scoliosis, and in 30 healthy girls (mean age, 14.0 years) of the same age. Measurements of the mobility were conducted by inclinometers and a compass in three planes; sagittal, frontal, and horizontal. The structurally healthy girls were taller and heavier than the scoliotics; the difference was statistically significant for weight (P less than 0.01). The positional inclines of sacrum, upper lumbar and thoracic areas were significantly smaller in the scoliotics, resulting in smaller lumbar lordosis and thoracic kyphosis in them (P less than 0.001). In the thoracic spine, forward flexion was smaller (P less than 0.01), whereas extension (P less than 0.001) and the total sagittal mobility (P less than 0.01) were greater in the scoliotics. In the healthy controls, the thoracic clockwise rotation was significantly (P less than 0.05) larger than the counterclockwise. This side difference had disappeared in the scoliotics, and their total thoracic rotation was indicatively smaller than in the controls. In the lumbar spine, extension was smaller (P less than 0.01) in the scoliotics than in the controls. All spinal mobility measurements noted there was no change of general spinal flexibility in the scoliotics.