Dna-Based Testing For Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a disease of unknown etiology that causes mild-to-severe spinal deformity in approximately 1% to 3% of adolescents. While there is controversy about the value of screening and treatment, once diagnosed, patients are frequently closely followed. In cases with significant progression of curvature, both medical (bracing) and surgical (spinal fusion) interventions are considered. The ScoliScore AIS prognostic DNA-based test uses an algorithm incorporating results of testing for 53 single nucleotide variants (SNVs), along with the patient’s presenting spinal curve (Cobb angle), to generate a risk score (range, 1 to 200), which can be used qualitatively or quantitatively to predict the likelihood of spinal curve progression.