New test available to monitor scoliosis

New Haven, Conn. (WTNH) - Now there's a test available to monitor scoliosis in patients, called ScoliScore.

Scoliosis affects about 7 million people, most are children between 10 to 15 years old. Without close monioring or treatment, scoliosis, the curvature of the spine, could lead to serious health complications.

Emma Lupe, 11, has scoliosis and so does her father. She said, "I knew my dad's was really bad, so I didn't want mine getting that way."

So when Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr. Jonathan Grauer offered this test, Lupe she welcomed it.

Emma said, "That way I would be able to know if I could still continue to do the sports that I do and that kind of thing."

ScoliScore is offered at the Yale School of Medicine/Department of Orthopaedics.

Dr. Jonathan Grauer, of the Yale School Of Medicine , said, "It's a genetic based test to evaluate patients who we see who are in their adolescent years for their risk of progression to a severe curvature."

A sample of the patient's saliva is analyzed and the results can be clarifying.

Dr. Grauer said, "Its been shown that very low numbers are very low risk to progress to a curvature curve, and very high numbers are at a very high risk."

Dr. Grauer examined Emma's x-ray and said, "We can tell her this shouldn't affect her down the road. It shouldn't affect the things she can do, shouldn't increase her risk to have problems, pain or other life limitations with this."

Emma's father, Sal Lupo, said, "I went through the whole brace and subsequently the surgery so it was one of those things we didn't want one of our children to go through."

The other benefit of the test is fewer office visits and x-rays for Emma.

Dr. Grauer said, "Sometimes if its right at the edge of where we consider a brace to treat scoliosis, sometimes we'll use that as a dividing factor."

Emma was prepared to deal with what her DNA would reveal.

Emma said, "Just don't worry about it. When they find it, they'll help you with it and if it gets really bad, they have things to make it better."

ScoliScore is for 9 to 13 year olds with scoliosis, which more often than not is picked up by a screening test.

Family history increases the risk of scoliosis.