Purpose: To describe health-related quality of life in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis and controls.
Methods: This cross-sectional study analysed data from 307 individuals with idiopathic scoliosis and 80 controls without scoliosis (mean age 15.5 ± 2.1 and 14.0 ± 2.2 years, respectively). Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed using EuroQol 5-dimensions (EQ-5D) questionnaire, and the scoliosis specific Scoliosis Research Society-22r questionnaire (SRS-22r). HRQoL data in individuals with scoliosis were compared to controls, between treatment groups (untreated, ongoing brace, previously braced and surgically treated) and stratified according to curve size.
Results: Adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis had reduced HRQoL compared with controls, observed through lower SRS-22r subscore (respective means 4.16 and 4.68, p < 0.001) and lower EQ-5D index (respective means 0.92 and 0.95, p = 0.032). No differences in SRS-22r subscore or EQ-5D index were detected when comparing different scoliosis treatment groups. Within the SRS-22r function domain the surgically treated group scored 4.40, significantly lower compared to the untreated (4.65) and ongoing brace groups (4.68, p = 0.005). The surgically treated and untreated group were more affected by pain, compared to the ongoing brace group (p = 0.01) with the surgically treated group scoring lowest. Non-surgically treated scoliosis individuals with larger curves (> 30 degrees) had a lower SRS-22r subscore (4.08) compared to those with smaller curves (4.31, p = 0.001).
Conclusion: Adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis had a reduced HRQoL compared to healthy controls. Minor differences were detected when comparing between idiopathic scoliosis treatment groups. Non-surgically treated scoliosis patients with larger curves had a lower HRQoL shown by lower SRS-22r values.
Keywords: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis; Function; Health-related quality of life; Pain; Patient-reported outcome measures; Self-image.
© 2022. The Author(s).