Postural control in siblings to scoliosis patients and scoliosis patients

The etiologic importance of postural dysfunction, as shown by many authors in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), has been under great debate. The authors' hypothesis was that a factor that is involved in the development of the scoliotic curvature, would be present also in nonscoliotic siblings to scoliosis patients, as AIS is a hereditary transmitted disease. Postural function in 100 siblings to scoliotic children was investigated by means of stabilometry, and compared with a matched control group of healthy children, as well as a group of scoliotic children. The siblings showed a postural control function that was significantly different from both of the other groups. The siblings had a postural sway that was less than the sway measured in both controls and scoliosis patients. The sway was also more asymmetrical than in the two other groups. In the authors' opinion, the presence of this postural aberration in siblings indicates that it is a factor in the etiology of AIS.