1 in 10 primary, middle school students have curved spines

By Park Ju-young

Published : Dec. 20, 2017 - 15:59

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One out of every 10 students in primary or middle school in Korea suffer from scoliosis, Yonhap News Agency reported Wednesday.

The Korea Unversity Guro Hospital orthopedic office conducted scoliosis examinations of 73,243 students -- 37,409 male students and 35,834 female students -- and found 7.55 percent of male and 13.28 percent of female students required treatment, as their spines had curved more than 5 degrees.

(Yonhap)

Scoliosis is a medical condition that occurs when a person’s spine curves in S or C shape. If the curved spine is untreated, it can result in different heights of the left and right shoulders and protruding backbones. In severe cases, the ribs can press down on the pelvis and lung, interfering with breathing and digestion.

Female students tend to have higher instances of curved spines than male students, as they have relatively weak and flexible ligaments and muscles, Dr. Seo Seung-woo told the news provider.

By Park Ju-young (jupark@heraldcorp.com)

1 in 10 primary, middle school students have curved spines

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