COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE INCIDENCE OF SPINAL DISTORTIONS IN ADOLESCENTS FOR THE PERIOD 2009-2021

Abstract

Purpose: The study objective is to monitor changes in the incidence of spinal distortions in adolescents in the school years 2008/2009 and 2019/2020 in schools within the territory of the town of Kazanlak. The report presents an overview of the manner and organization of preventive screenings of adolescents and options for subsequent treatment. Materials and methods: The study was carried out by specialists in physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM) in the school physicians’ offices with the consent of the directors, class teachers, parents and the regional education inspectorate. The preventive screenings were carried out completely free of charge for the pupils, and the treatment of newly discovered spinal distortions was carried out in outpatient conditions and was taken over by the National Health Insurance Fund. Results: The study outcomes showed no change in the incidence of spinal distortions of pupils in classes 1 to 4. However, among children from classes 5 to 10, there is a significant increase in the incidence rate over a period of 10 years. Conclusions: The introduction of modern technologies in pupils’ daily lives and their increasingly active lifestyles over the last 10 years has led to an increase in spinal diseases. PRM specialists are the physicians responsible for restoring preventive screenings for spinal distortions in schools. Our study with subsequent treatment and prevention of these conditions shows a successful approach to dealing with the increased number of scoliosis cases in the town of Kazanlak. Our team believes that this approach can be effectively implemented in each region by the PRM specialists and would have a strong social, economic and health effect in the long term for the population of the Republic of Bulgaria.