Scoliosis symptoms could be recognized among the students being tested from ages five to eighteen, but subsequent studies never confirmed them for this age-range. To begin the screenings, children would have their shoulder height, leg length and spinal curvature measurements taken while partially clothed. This was followed with the forward-bend test and bodily comparisons to wall charts that were printed reproductions of the ideal human posture. Unfortunately, these screenings were not always accurate and many students were misdiagnosed because poor posture could often be mistaken for scoliosis. One of the first treatments designed was the Milwaukee brace, a rigid contraption of
Scoliosis is due to genetic factors, and 62% is due to the environment. The genetics are likely complex, however, given the inconsistent inheritance and discordance among monozygotic twins. The specific genes that contribute to development of scoliosis have not been conclusively identified. At least one gene, "CHD7", has been associated with the idiopathic form of scoliosis. Several candidate gene studies have found associations between idiopathic scoliosis and genes mediating bone formation, bone metabolism, and connective tissue structure. Several genome-wide studies have identified a number of loci as significantly linked to idiopathic scoliosis. In 2006, idiopathic scoliosis was linked with three microsatellite