Journal de la colonne vertébrale

Pes Cavus and Idiopathic Scoliosis from School Screening

Abstract

Hanène Belabbassi, Assia Haddouche, Abdelkader Ouadah and Houria Kaced

Background context: The correlation of idiopathic scoliosis and cavus foot has been previously reported. This has been ascribed to possible lesions related to muscular imbalance influenced by the central nervous system.

Purpose: Our study goal is to assess and compare the rate of pes cavus in children with and without scoliosis.

Study design: Prospective, cross-sectional; Case-control study.

Patient sample: 81 subjects, 42 healthy children matched for age and gender with 39 children with idiopathic scoliosis.

Outcome measures: Clinical examination of the trunk and the feet, radiological assessment of the spine. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS package.

Methods: Children were examined from a school-screening program at the physical medicine and rehabilitation department in the university hospital of Douéra, in Algiers. A number of measurements were assessed including the trunk asymmetry in standing forward bend followed by the Cobb angle in upright spine radiography and the footprints analysis under weight-bearing on the podoscope (mirror table).

Results: There is a statistically significant difference of pes cavus rate in children without idiopathic scoliosis and those with idiopathic scoliosis. Comparing 55.8% to 33.3% we found Chi-square=4.174 with P=0.043.

Conclusions: In our small sample, the significant difference between pes cavus in children without and with idiopathic scoliosis was noted, as it has been elsewhere reported. The percentage of cavus foot was traced higher in the healthy children than it is in the moderate scoliosis curves studied.