One hundred and seventy-seven patients who had adolescent idiopathic
scoliosis were followed from the time of the initial evaluation to skeletal
maturity or arthrodesis. At that time, we analyzed the degree of curvature
to determine if it was related to parental age at the time of the patient's
birth. Patients who were born to mothers who were twenty-seven years old or
more had a mean curve of 35.2 degrees, which was significantly greater (p =
0.02) than that of patients whose mothers were younger than twenty-seven
years, who had a mean curve of 30.4 degrees. More patients whose mothers
were twenty-seven years old or older ultimately needed arthrodesis than did
those whose mothers were younger than twenty-seven years (26 compared with
12 per cent). Therefore, a maternal age of twenty-seven years old or more
is a risk factor for greater progression of the curve and indicates a
potential need for arthrodesis. No difference in the degree of curvature
was seen when the patients were grouped according to paternal age.