Orthopedics Book

Ankle Disorders

Approach

Cervical Spine Disorders

Cervicobrachial Disorders

Elbow Disorders

Foot Disorders

Hand Disorders

Hip Disorders

Infectious Disease

Knee Disorders

Lumbar Spine Disorders

Miscellaneous

Shoulder Disorders

Thoracic Spine Disorders

  • Scoliosis Examination

Wrist Disorders

http://www.fpnotebook.com/

Scoliosis ExaminationAka: Forward Bending Test, Scoliometer, Adam's Test, Adam's Position

Advertisement

  1. See Also
    1. Scoliosis
    2. Scoliosis XRay (Cobb Angle)
  2. Indications
    1. Scoliosis Screening
  3. Technique: Forward Bending Test (most accurate)
    1. Patient position
      1. Patient with shirt off and spine fully visible
      2. Forward bending with feet together and knees straight
      3. Allow arms to hang down freely (or palms opposed)
    2. Examiner position
      1. Observe patient from behind
    3. Abnormal findings: Unilateral changes
      1. Rib cage elevation on one side
      2. Prominent unilateral lumbar paravertebral muscle
  4. Technique: Scoliometer (measures trunk rotation)
    1. Patient positioned as in forward bending above
    2. Scoliometer position
      1. Place scoliometer on midline, perpendicular to spine
      2. Position at vertebral level of maximum rib prominence
    3. Interpretation
      1. Inclination exceeding 5-7 degrees requires work-up
      2. Seven degrees correlates with 20 degree Cobb Angle
  5. Technique: Adam's Test (Used for School screening)
    1. Patient positioned as in forward bending above
    2. Examiner position
      1. Examiner sits at head of patient
    3. Abnormal findings
      1. Same as for forward bending exam above
  6. References
    1. Greene (2001) Musculoskeletal Care, AAOS, p. 697
    2. Lonstein (July 1989) J Musculoskeletal Med 37-54
    3. Skaggs (1996) Am Fam Physician 53(7):2327

Navigation Tree