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We took our 11-year-old daughter to a special spine clinic to have her scoliosis evaluated. They gave her a special questionnaire called an SRS. What is this and what does it measure? Does everyone take this test or only certain ones with scoliosis?
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Every medical condition needs a tool to measure success of treatment. With idiopathic scoliosis (curvature of the spine with no known cause), the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)-22 survey is often used. This tool was first developed and then published as a valid, reliable instrument back in the late 1990s.
The SRS-22 questionnaire has been used to measure health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in teens and young adults. It is a simple and practical way to assess how patients with this particular condition perceive themselves in terms of pain, self-image, and function.
Since idiopathic scoliosis is not life-threatening, the goals of treatment are not to save the life of the child or even cure him or her of this problem. Treatment is more of a management approach to limit how severe the spinal curve becomes, to prevent deformity, and to minimize any effect of the condition on daily function and quality of life.
The question: can the SRS-22 be used (and relied upon) to guide management decisions has been studied. In other words, how useful is the SRS-22 in making treatment decisions?
This tool has been tested with patients who were treated without surgery (nonoperative group) and those who had surgery based on severity of their spinal curves.
It turns out the questionnaire is a good tool to use when assessing differences in pain and body image between patients with small versus large spinal curves. It does not sort out differences between the two groups when it comes to measuring effects on function or mental health.
The SRS-22 is a good tool for measuring some things (body image and pain between small and large curves) but it does have some limits. Different scores are not as likely with small changes in curves. It's easier to use the SRS-22 to identify patients with larger curves who will need surgery but not as effective for smaller (mild to moderate) curves.
Results of treatment may be affected by other factors that are not measured by the SRS-22 (e.g., socioeconomic status, body mass index as a measure of obesity, self-esteem, self-confidence, mood). In older children, teens, and young adults, self-image is often more important than physical pain or loss of motion. Since these other behavioral, psychologic, and social health-related qualities are also important, it may be necessary to use more than just the SRS-22 to assess change but the SRS-22 is a good place to start.
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*Disclaimer:*The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. |
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