Abnormal Peri-Pubertal Growth in 582 Adolescent Girls with Idiopathic Scoliosis

· (a – Health Service Research Grant, Hong Kong)

Weight (Wt), height (Ht), body mass index (BMI), arm span, sitting height (SH), Leg length (LL) & pubertal staging (breast stage, BS) were evaluated in 582 AIS girls & 206 healthy controls aged 11-16-y. At pre-puberty, AIS girls had significantly shorter arm span, SH & LL than those of controls (P<0.04). After the onset of puberty (from Stage 2 to 5) the differentials of Ht, arm span and LL of the AIS were significantly greater than those of controls (P<0.049 – P<0.001). However, Wt & BMI of AIS were lower than the controls from BS 2-4 (P = 0.05-0.01). The study showed abnormal peripubertal growth in girls with AIS.

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