1. Study of back asymmetry in children from three ethnic groups and correlation with their handedness
General Hospital of Piraeus, Greece “Tzanio”
T.B. Grivas, A. Kasartzian, M. Christina, C. Mihas, C. Aggouris, G. Triantafyllopoulos, N. Dimitrakos, I. Katsoulis
1. Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, "Tzanio" General Hospital of Piraeus– NHS, Tzani & Afendouli str, 18536, Piraeus, Greece
2. General Practitioner/Family Medicine, "Tzanio" General Hospital of Piraeus– NHS, Tzani & Afendouli str, 18536, Piraeus, Greece
3. Health Visitor, "Tzanio" General Hospital of Piraeus– NHS, Tzani & Afendouli str, 18536, Piraeus, Greece
4. Orthopaedic Surgeon, Athens, Greece

2. General Hospital of Piraeus, Greece “Tzanio”
Introduction
Armenian, Albanian & Greek children attending primary & secondary schools in Athens, Greece were screened. These 3 ethnic groups comprise a rather homogeneous genetically population, each of them being culturally a closed social group population.
This results in a very interesting group of people from the genetic point of view. The examination & analysis of various anthropometric parameters could reveal & provide useful baseline information for understanding of truncal asymmetry formation, the preliminary condition of spinal deformity

3. General Hospital of Piraeus, Greece “Tzanio”
Methods & Material
The Prujis scoliometer was used to examine the students in standing & sitting forward bending position in T, TL & L region
Menarche & handedness (laterality) were documented
Asymmetries were tested for correlation with laterality
The data were fed in SPSS program spreadsheet & statistically analyzed using STATA™ v. 9.0 package

4. General Hospital of Piraeus, Greece “Tzanio”
Methods & Material
Participants
n = 10,863 students
Males: n=5, %
Females: n=5, %

5. General Hospital of Piraeus, Greece “Tzanio”
Methods and Material
Participants
Age range: 5-17 yrs
Mean age: 11.3 ± 2.7 yrs

6. General Hospital of Piraeus, Greece “Tzanio”
Results
Mean age at menarche:
11.8 ± 1.3 yrs

7. General Hospital of Piraeus, Greece “Tzanio”
Results
There is no statistical difference in asymmetry in Armenian pre & post menarche girls

8. General Hospital of Piraeus, Greece “Tzanio”
Results
In sitting forward bending position (sitFBP), comparison of pre-menarche girls, showed symmetry differences in only the thoracolumbar (ThL) region among
Armenian (46.2%)
Albanian (88%)
Greek (80,1%) girls (p=0.030),
but not post-menarche

9. General Hospital of Piraeus, Greece “Tzanio”
Results
In boys aged 5-10 years, in all sitFBP,
greater symmetry percentages observed in
Armenian compared with Albanian and Greek
Thoracic (T)  % vs. 83.5%, 84.3%, respectively, p=0.001
Thoracolumbar (ThL) 96.1% vs. 77.7%, 83.2%, respectively, p<0.001
Lumbar (L) % vs. 72.8%, 80.5%, respectively, p<0.001

10. General Hospital of Piraeus, Greece “Tzanio”
Results
In girls aged 5-10 years, in all sitFBP,
greater symmetry percentages observed in
Armenian compared with Albanian and Greek
Thoracic (T)  100% vs. 88.9%, 85.4%, respectively, p=0.050
Thoracolumbar (ThL) 100 % vs. 81.7%, 81.1%, respectively, p=0.010
Lumbar (L) % vs. 80.2%, 79.9%, respectively, p=0.003

11. General Hospital of Piraeus, Greece “Tzanio”
Results
Comparison of symmetry among girls aged years revealed difference in right L standing FBP (stdFBP)
% Asymmetry:
Armenian 0%
Albanian 5.6%,
Greek 2.2% (p=0.024), but not for the peered aged boys

12. General Hospital of Piraeus, Greece “Tzanio”
Results
In Armenian girls 5-10 years old, laterality was correlated with symmetry / asymmetry in L stdFBP, p=0.033

13. General Hospital of Piraeus, Greece “Tzanio”
Results
In Albanian girls yrs of age, laterality was correlated with asymmetry in stdFBP in ThL spine, p=0.023.

14. General Hospital of Piraeus, Greece “Tzanio”
Results
In Greek boys 5-10 yrs of age, there were found:
correlation between laterality & symmetry - asymmetry
in TL spine in sitFBP p=0.015
in TL spine in stdFBP p=0.049

15. General Hospital of Piraeus, Greece “Tzanio”
Results
In Greek girls 5-10 yrs of age, there were found:
correlation between laterality & symmetry - asymmetry
in TL spine in stdFBP, p=0.034
in L spine in stdFBP, p=0.035

16. General Hospital of Piraeus, Greece “Tzanio”
Discussion
The above revealed truncal asymmetry differences implicate a genetic background
The laterality also seems to dictate in some way the formation of these trunkal asymmetries
A significant positive correlation between cerebral lateralization as it is expressed by handedness & mild trunk asymmetry at the mid-thoracic region implicates the possible aetiopathogenic role of cerebral cortex function in the determination of the thoracic surface morphology of the trunk
Grivas TB (2006): Trunk asymmetry and handedness in 8245 school childrenPediatric Rehabilitation, 2006