Why this page gives referral criteria instead of a self-screen
There are deliberately no "is one shoulder higher?" questions here. The problem with screening at home is the wrong "normal" result. Sensitivity for the forward bend test alone is reported at 84.4%; combined with a scoliometer it is 71.1% (specificity 97.1%), and with three tests together 93.8% (specificity 99.2%). Cases are missed, and reassurance collected at home is what delays the visit.
The forward bend test is performed by a clinician, the trunk rotation angle that decides referral is measured by a clinician with a scoliometer, and diagnosis is confirmed by imaging. Published sources cite the referral angle as a 5-7 degree range, not one fixed value. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force concluded that evidence on adolescent scoliosis screening is insufficient, and in an earlier assessment recommended against it over false positives and overtreatment. For screening done by a parent or by yourself, no evidence base is published at all (reviewed October 2026).
So there is one calculation: annual height growth velocity from two dated measurements, an input clinicians use when setting follow-up intervals during growth. It does not judge progression risk. If the back looks raised on one side, the waist or shoulder lines differ noticeably, or there is back pain, book an orthopaedic visit for a scoliometer measurement and imaging if needed, whatever the number says.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because a "normal" result from a test with limited sensitivity reassures missed cases and delays care. Sensitivity for the forward bend test alone is reported at 84.4%, and no evidence base is published for screening done by a parent or by yourself.
Published sources cite a range of 5 to 7 degrees rather than a single value. That angle is the trunk rotation measured by a clinician with a scoliometer, and diagnosis is confirmed by imaging.
This page makes no such judgement. Growth velocity is only one input a clinician uses when setting follow-up intervals, so take the interpretation to a visit.