The incidence of idiopathic scoliosis in Greece--analyais of domestic school screening programs.

Introduction: The aim of the study is the documentation of the national incidence of idiopathic scoliosis (IS) based on the School Screening programs performed at the various geographical departments of the country, and the estimation of the probable number of children who will need to be conservatively or surgically treated.

Material-methods: During the years 1975 - 1999, 17 School Screening programs were performed in Greece and their results were analyzed and published in the book "School Screening in Greece". These studies had in common the children age distribution, the clinical examination, the radiological definition of IS when the Cobb - angle was > or = 5 degrees or > or = 10 degrees after SRS.

Prediction of Cobb angle in idiopathic adolescent scoliosis.

We did a prospective study of 291 children and adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis to identify possible correlations between clinical (scoliometer value, age, height) and radiographic (Cobb angle, Nash-Moe rotation, Risser iliac apophysis classification) parameters to predict the curve angle. There was a statistically significant correlation between thoracic, thoracolumbar, and lumbar scoliometer values and the thoracic, thoracolumbar, and lumbar Cobb angles, respectively (Pearson's r-0.685, 0.