A comparative study of the efficiency of different types of school screening for scoliosis

The efficiency of scoliosis screening was studied among school children in the city of Malmö during the seventies. All children were investigated annually during this decade. The efficiency of the screening varied, however, from one in which no specific information at all was given to the school health authorities to the other extreme where a specially trained school nurse carried out a combined moiré -- clinical screening programme. A significant decrease in the mean value of the degree of scoliosis was recorded when diagnosis was made with more effective screening. The best result was achieved when using the combined moiré - clinical screening programme. Furthermore, with this method, the scoliosis was diagnosed at an earlier age and consequently, the number of cases operated on decreased. Thus the cost of effective school screening will be covered merely by avoiding operation in a few cases.