Left handedness and spine deformities in early adolescence

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between laterality and spine deformities in early adolescence, with special reference to sex differences. Interviews, anthropometric measurements and clinical examinations of body posture were carried out on a sample of 2546 schoolchildren, aged from 11 to 14 years, in seven elementary schools in the centre of Belgrade. Possible confounding factors (age, sex, body weight and body height) were controlled for. The overall prevalence of spine deformities (scoliosis and/or thoracic hyperkyphosis) in the investigated population was 11.8%, out of which there were 7.8% adolescents with scoliosis, 4.0% with thoracic hyperkyphosis, and 0.3% with both spine deformities. The prevalence of scoliosis was 2.7 times higher in girls compared to boys (11.7% vs. 4.3%) while the prevalence of thoracic hyperkyphosis was 1,6 higher among boys (5.0% vs. 3.2%). We found 7.6% of the schoolchildren examined to be left-handed. Left handedness was significantly related to scoliosis in girls (crude OR = 1.60 and 95% confidence interval = 1.01-2.54). Multivariate analysis showed that significant independent factors for scoliosis were female sex (p < 0.001), age (p = 0.01) and left handedness (p = 0.02). We did not find any appreciable relation between left handedness and thoracic hyperkyphosis in both sexes.

Prevalence of spine deformity among 7-11 year old children

“…This is similar to results reported by Milenkovic et al (17) who found scoliosis in 7.8% of 11-14 year old pupils. On the other hand Ostojic et al (19) explored the prevalence of scoliosis in 2517 primary school children (7-14 years old) and reported that 33.4% of examinees had spine deformities, from which 11.8% respondents were suspected structural scoliosis.…”

“…Some found high kyphosis prevalence, such as Bogdanovic (15) who reported kyphosis in 43.14% of 11 year old pupils, or Milenković et al (16) who found it in 51.4% of children 7-10 years old. On the other hand, among somewhat older pupils (11-14 years old) kyphosis prevalence of 4% was reported (17). The higher prevalence of kyphosis in younger respondents may be explained by the specificity of their growth period.…”

Pathogenesis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in girls - a double neuro-osseous theory involving disharmony between two nervous systems, somatic and autonomic expressed in the spine and trunk: possible dependency on sympathetic nervous system and hormones with implications for medical therapy

“…Biomechanical factors involving ribs [59-63] and/or vertebrae [64,65,91-93] and spinal cord [64,65,92,93], acting during growth may localize AIS to the thoracic spine and cause the sagittal spinal shape alterations [83-90]. The non-random laterality of thoracic AIS curves has been explained by several factors including handedness, aorta, lungs, diaphragm, pre-existing lateral curve, axial rotation and embryology [367-371]. We suggest that the laterality and site of t horacic, thoracolumbar and lumbar curves is determined, in part, by the location of the putative abnormalities of the LHS-driven mechanism in the hypothalamus and sympathetic nervous system.…”

Low hospital referral rates of school scoliosis screening positives in an urban district of mainland China

“…In a 2004 survey, it was shown that in 2546 children from ages 11 to 14 in urban areas in Serbia, the AIS incidence was as high as 7.8%, with the incidence in girls 2.7 times higher than that in boys. [13] …”