Epidemiology

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), which develops between the ages of 10 and 18 years, accounts for approximately 90% of cases of idiopathic scoliosis.[8] Infantile idiopathic scoliosis develops before the age of 3 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 3:2, and accounts for <1% of idiopathic scoliosis cases; juvenile idiopathic scoliosis accounts for the remainder and develops between the ages of 3 and 10 years. Together, infantile and juvenile idiopathic scoliosis are referred to as early onset scoliosis.[2]

AIS is a diagnosis that falls along a spectrum of spinal deformity disorders. The exact incidence of asymptomatic spinal deformity is not known, as most patients with minor curvatures have no signs or symptoms related to the deformity. In the US, the reported prevalence of patients with a curve of >10° ranges from 0.5 to 3 per 100 children and adolescents, and the estimated prevalence of patients who will require treatment for spinal deformity ranges from 0.5 to 3 per 1000.[9][10][11] In the UK, prevalence of idiopathic scoliosis is estimated at 2% to 3% in 10 to 16 year olds.[12] The male-to-female ratio is thought to be equal for mild curves. However, curve progression requiring treatment is much more common in female adolescents, with an estimated ratio of 7-8:1.[13] Additionally, the number of affected girls increases exponentially with the magnitude of the curvature.[13]

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