Dobies-Krześniak BK, Werblińska A, Tarnacka B. Joint hypermobility in school-aged children and adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis: A chance for more accurate screening? Ann Agric Environ Med.

The aim of this study was to assess the hypothesis that functional laterality features are associated with scoliosis incidence. The study included 59 patients with radiologically confirmed idiopathic scoliosis (mean age 13 years, 41 girls and 18 boys) and 55 controls (mean age 10.5 years, 38 girls and 17 boys). Side dominance was determined by the Lateral Preference Inventory. Direction, strength, and consistency of lateral dominance was obtained. Continuous data were compared by Student’s t-test or U Mann-Whitney test where appropriate. Categorical data were compared by chi-squared test and Fisher’s exact test. Groups were significantly different in terms of age (p < 0.001) and dependent variables: height (p < 0.001) and weight (p < 0.001). Lateralization analysis showed some trends, but the results obtained were not statistically significant. Statistical significance of lateralization direction are respectively: for hand (p = 0.364); leg (p = 0.277); eye (p = 0.804); ear (p = 0.938); number of right/left sided participants p = 0.492; p = 0.274; p = 0.387; p = 0.839, and right/mixed/left sided participants p = 0.930; p = 0.233; p = 0.691; p = 0.804. For laterality consistency depending on definition used, p = 0.105; p = 0.108; p = 0.380. The relationship between scoliosis and laterality is not a simple causal relationship and needs further investigation.