A 14-year-old girl is brought to the clinic for a routine check-up. During the examination, a prominence on her back is noted when she bends forward. Her mother reports no complaints of pain or discomfort from the child. What could this be indicative of and what are the next steps?
The finding of a prominence on the back during forward bending could be indicative of scoliosis, a lateral curvature of the spine. The next steps would include further evaluation with a scoliometer to measure the angle of trunk rotation, and if scoliosis is suspected, an X-ray of the spine would be indicated to measure the Cobb angle and confirm the diagnosis.