Screening check
Should my child be screened for scoliosis?
In the US, 1% to 3% of children aged 10 to 16 have adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, a sideways curve of the spine with no known cause. The US Preventive Services Task Force looked at whether children and teens with no symptoms should be screened. Check what it says for your child.
About your child
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What you will see
What the USPSTF says about scoliosis screening for your child.
Educational only, not medical advice. This is not a spine exam. Show any back pain or visible curve to a clinician.
Source
US Preventive Services Task Force, January 2018 recommendation on screening for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. A January 2025 literature scan found no new evidence to update it.
Validated in
Children and adolescents aged 10 to 18 without symptoms.
Limits
It is not a spine exam and cannot tell whether your child has scoliosis. It does not cover back pain, breathing problems, abnormal imaging or an obvious curve.
What the USPSTF recommends
| Who | Recommendation | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Children and adolescents aged 10 to 18 without symptoms | Evidence is insufficient to weigh the benefits and harms of screening for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis | I |
Screening usually means looking at the spine for uneven shoulders, shoulder blades and hips, then repeating the look while the child bends forward at the waist (the forward bend test). A scoliometer may be used to measure the angle of trunk rotation (USPSTF 2018). The 2018 statement replaced an earlier recommendation against screening (a D grade) with this I statement. In 2025 the USPSTF found no new evidence to justify an update (USPSTF 2018).
Why it matters
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is the most common form of scoliosis and usually worsens during adolescence, before the skeleton is mature. Most people with a curve greater than 40° when they stop growing will likely see it progress in adulthood, and severe curves may be linked to lung problems, disability, back pain and lower quality of life (USPSTF 2018). Smaller curves generally stay stable. Mild curves are about as common in girls as in boys, but girls are 10 times more likely to progress to a curve of 30° or more (USPSTF 2018).
Why the evidence falls short
Screening tests can find scoliosis accurately when used together: three tests combined reached 93.8% sensitivity and 99.2% specificity (USPSTF 2018). But there was no direct evidence that screening improves health outcomes. Bracing may slow curve progression in mild or moderate curves, yet there was not enough evidence that a smaller curve in adolescence leads to better health in adulthood, and too little evidence on exercise or surgery for screen-detected curves (USPSTF 2018). No studies looked directly at the harms of screening, such as worry or harms from the X-rays used to confirm a curve (USPSTF 2018).
Common questions
My child's school does scoliosis screening. Is that wrong?
No. More than half of US states mandate or recommend school screening, and various organizations have recommended it since the 1980s (USPSTF 2018). The USPSTF statement means the evidence is not strong enough to say whether the benefits outweigh the harms, not that screening is harmful.
What happens after a positive screen?
An X-ray is used to confirm scoliosis and measure the curve (the Cobb angle). False-positive screens ranged from 0.8% to 21.5% in studies (USPSTF 2018).
How is it treated?
It depends on the size of the curve and how much growing is left. In general, curves under 20° are watched, sometimes with exercise; larger or growing curves may be braced; and the largest curves may need surgery (USPSTF 2018).
Also see the eating disorder screening check, the blood lead test check and all screening tests by age.
Sources
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2018;319(2):165-172. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/adolescent-idiopathic-scoliosis-screening
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-10-30. Spotted an error? See About.