Study of the children with vertebral deformities referred from Primary Care to a specialised unit

Vertebral deformities are a frequent reason of examination in children and adolescents. They count for 1% of the paediatrician referrals to the specialist, and 6.2% of the examinations in a Child Orthopaedic Surgery. An early diagnosis is the key for an effective treatment.

There is controversy about the method which must be used in the detection of raquis deviations. The objective of this study is to evaluate the running of this specific unit of Vertebral Deformities, to know the features of the patients who are referred to it, to expose our working methods and to draw some appropriate conclusions.

Results: 174 patients, who are 12 ± 2.9 years old (range 1-18), are included. Sex: 61.5% girls, 38.5% boys. The 71.8% were detected by the paediatrician, and the 13.2% by their parents. The 83.3% of the diagnosis of scoliosis were made in girls. The 32% of the referred girls showed scoliosis, opposite to the 10.4 of the boys (p = 0.002). The 61% of the scoliotic curves were less than 20º at the time of diagnosis. The angular value of the kyphosis was 49.4º. The 30.5% of all referred patients had backpain.

Conclusions: there must be established an early detection system for the raquis deviations during the growth period. The exploration of the back in the paediatric health check-ups is a more efficacious system than the school screening. The paediatrician is the most qualified professional to carry out this job. It is necessary the existence of specific units where these children can be referred for study and monitoring.