I. Busscher, F.H. Wapstra, S.K. Bulstra, A.G. Veldhuizen
Abstract
Introduction: Knowing the timing of the pubertal growth spurt is essential for the prognosis and therapy of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Distal body parts have their growth spurt earlier in adolescence, and therefore the growth of the foot could be an early indicator for the growth spurt of total body height. Shoe size is a good alternative for foot length, since patients remember to a high extend when they bought new shoes and what size these shoes were. Therefore the clinician already has access to longitudinal data at the first visit.
Objectives: The goal of this study was to describe foot growth during adolescence, expressed in standardized shoe size.
Materials and Methods: Longitudinal series of shoe sizes were obtained from 242 girls and 104 boys, and were analysed for the age at “peak increase” in shoe size, and the age of cessation of shoe size.
Results: The average peak increase in shoe size occurred at 10.4 years (SD 1.1) in girls and 11.5 years (SD 1.5) in boys. The increase in shoe size diminishes when the average growth spurt of total body height takes place at 12.1 (SD 0.8) years in girls and 13.7 (SD 1.0) years in boys.
Conclusion: Present data suggest that the course of shoe sizes of children visiting the outpatient clinic can be useful in predicting the timing of the pubertal growth spurt.
Significance: This claim needs verification by direct comparison of individual shoe size and body height data, and than a substantial step forward can be made in clinical decision making regarding adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.