The role of exercising in a pair of female monozygotic (high-class athletes) twins discordant for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

ABSTRACT

STUDY DESIGN: The report of 2 cases and review of the literature. OBJECTIVE: To report the cases of a pair of female monozygotic (high-class athletes) twins discordant for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA The relation between scoliosis and exercising is rather unclear. The latter has often been considered both as a therapeutic means and a causative factor of the former. The existence of genetic predisposition in the development of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is commonly accepted. According to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a pair of female monozygotic (high-class athletes) twins, discordant for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. METHODS. A pair of 13.5-year-old female monozygotic twins, high-class level athletes of synchronized swimming, was clinically examined during a school screening program. Both girls were observed in the standing erect position for asymmetries of the lateral contours of the trunk, shoulders, and scapulas and their limb's length was measured. The "forward bending test" was performed to determine the existence of rib hump asymmetry. RESULTS: One of the sisters was considered to be suspicious of suffering from scoliosis. The radiologic evaluation that followed confirmed the existence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (left thoracolumbar curve of 32 degrees as measured by the Cobb angle). The clinical and radiologic evaluation of her sibling failed to reveal the existence of any spinal deformity. CONCLUSION: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis seems to be a multifactorial skeletal disorder. The role of exercising and heredity in its development remain controversial.