Impact of Delayed Treatment Seeking in
Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
Researchfolio
Definition
01
What is Scoliosis?​
​Scoliosis is a condition where the spine curves sideways in an “S” or “C” shape instead of being straight. It can occur at any age but is most commonly diagnosed during adolescence.
02
Overview
In Singapore, research has shown that the prevalence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) in schoolgirls is 1.4% at 11 to 12 years of age and 2.2% at 13 to 14 years of age; consequently, the older the child, the higher the prevalence of scoliosis (HealthHub, 2023). AIS affects children of all races, however it is more frequent in girls than in boys (7:1).
Girls are screened for AIS annually (Thilagaratnam, S., 2007) beginning in Primary 5 (HealthHub, 2022a) and continuing until Secondary 2.
Boys would only start being monitored in secondary school (HealthHub, 2022b).
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AIS is the most pervasive spinal abnormality among children and adolescents. It is a three-dimensional deformity of the spine in the sagittal, coronal, and axial planes with a lateral curvature of 10 degrees or greater (Trobisch et al., 2010).​
