Idiopathic scoliosis and quality of life

Scoliosis may lead to multiple impairments depending on its seriousness. Here we have to make the distinction between direct impairments in the physical field and indirect impairments in the psychosocial field. The findings of different studies indicate that the psychosocial situation in juvenile and adult scoliotic patients is characterized by increased strain. The present study is meant to answer the question in which fields of quality of life female scoliotic patients are impaired and if these impairments are dependent of age or seriousness of illness (Cobb angle). Between May 1998 and February 1999, 226 female patients with idiopathic scoliosis were surveyed in a special clinic for spinal deformities with the help of different quality of life measuring instruments (SF-36, BFW, STAIK) and were compared with norm values. Women with idiopathic scoliosis were questioned with the help of an age adapted set of questionnaires containing questions referring to the health related quality of life (SF-36, BFW, STAIK). The results were compared to the norm values and examined in uni- and multivariat procedures (MANOVA) in order to find out if age and seriousness of illness (Cobb angle) have any impact on the quality of life. In comparison to the norm random sample, the juvenile female scoliosis patients showed a less positive point of view towards life (p = .001) and were easier subject to depressive moods (p = .021). The increased strain of adult patients was shown both in the psychic field (p < .001) and in the physical field (p < .001) (SF-36). These results are largely independent of the seriousness of illness (Cobb angle) and of the patients' age. The results indicate that idiopathic scoliosis in children, adolescents and adults can be regarded as a risk factor for the impairment of health related quality of life and thus stress the importance of psychosocial offers during a patient-orientated scoliosis treatment in order to improve the management of scoliosis.