Scoliosis

Four basic criteria are important when determining which diseases are amenable to detection and treatment by screening: 1) the diagnostic test used must be highly sensitive, 2) the disease should cause substantial morbidity or mortality, 3) early detection and treatment should eliminate the disease or prevent its progression, 4) the incidence of the disease should be high enough to warrant the utilization of time, resources, and money. A review of three large screening studies evaluating the detection and treatment of scoliosis revealed problems in meeting these four criteria. Given the current level of disease and response to therapy, there is little justification at present for routine screening for scoliosis in the school system.