A retrospective survey was carried out on approximately 800 scoliotic subjects attending a
chest clinic over 25 years. One hundred thirty-one patients with unfused idiopathic scoliosis
were identified and further consideration was restricted to 54 who were assessed at 30
years of age or older. Sex, age of onset of curvature, severity at the time of presentation,
degree of dyspnoea, presence of independent cardiac or pulmonary disease and smoking
habit were recorded. Measurements of lung function were compared with predicted figures …