Postural alterations are often found in children and teenagers. In this stage of development, the posture undergoes many adjustments and adaptations due to changes of the body and to demanding psychosocial factors. To identify which postural alterations occur most often in students between 7 and 10 years of age, to identify preventive measures, and to provide information to parents and teachers about the problem of bad posture. Thirty three girls in each of 4 age groups between 7 and 10 years of age were assessed, resulting in a sample of 132 subjects. Photos of each girl in the sagittal and frontal planes were examined for postural deviations. The main postural deviations found were knock-knee, medial rotation of the hip, antepulsion, pelvic anteversion, knee hyperextension, lumbar hyperlordosis, valgus ankle, imbalanced shoulders, lateral pelvic inclination, scoliosis, trunk rotation, thoracic hyperkyphosis, winged scapula, shoulder protraction, abducted scapula, medial rotation of shoulders, and head tilt. High incidences of postural alterations occur in children of school age. Some of these reflect normal postural development, and get corrected during the child's growth. On the other hand, some alterations are asymmetries that can be caused by daily demands on the body and can result in negative impacts on the quality of life during childhood and adulthood. We emphasize the importance of providing information to parents and teachers about the problem of bad posture.

Study Design.: A cross-sectional study. Objective.: To estimate the prevalence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) in cities in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, as well as to identify demographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors associated with AIS. Summary of Background Data.: AIS is a common three-dimensional spinal deformity. Epidemiological data about the condition in the southern hemisphere are scarce, and Brazil has no public health policies to implement school-based scoliosis screening programs. Methods.: We assessed 2562 adolescents between 10 and 14 years of age. The screening procedure included measurement of the angle of trunk rotation using a scoliometer in the Adams forward bend test and the radiographic examination. Results.: The overall prevalence of AIS was 1.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1%–1.9%). The AIS prevalence was higher among the females than among the males—2.2% (95% CI: 1.4%–2.9%) and 0.5% (95% CI: 0.1%–0.9%), respectively. The following factors were associated with the development of AIS: being female (OR = 4.7, 95% CI: 1.8–12.2; P = 0.001) and being in the 13- to 14-year age group (OR = 2.2; 95% CI: 1.0–4.8; P = 0.035). Double curves and right laterality were more common (59.4% and 56.8%, respectively), although the curves were of low magnitude (75% of the curves having a Cobb angle ≤22°), as was the progression factor (≤1.2 in 75% of the cases). Conclusion.: The prevalence of AIS in cities within the state of São Paulo was similar to that reported in the literature, was higher among females, and was higher during puberty (13–14 years of age). Because puberty occurs later for males than for females, the recommendation to screen both sexes at 10 to 14 years of age should be reconsidered. Level of Evidence: 3

Background: Adolescence is marked by changes to the body, including the feet. The Foot Posture Index (FPI‐6) stands out from other foot type classification methods as valid, reliable, and multidimensional. However, the current literature differs according to age group, with little consolidation of normative data in school children, largely due to the influence of such factors as sex, age and body mass index (BMI). Thus, this study assesses foot posture in adolescents according to age, sex and BMI.Methods: The study evaluated 1.394 adolescents from Amparo and Pedreira regions in São Paulo, Brazil. Subjects were positioned barefoot on a wooden base and each foot was assessed by FPI‐6 criteria. Each criterion was scored on a scale of −2 to +2, negative for supinated and positive for pronated posture. Initially the data were assessed for normality using the Shapiro‐Wilk test and descriptive statistics were calculated. To investigate and compare the scores of FPI‐6 with regards to age and body mass index, analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used, followed by post hoc Tukey. To compare the FPI‐6 with regard to gender, an independent student t test was used. All data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.0 and the 5% significance level.Results: Boys had higher scores than girls (p = 0.037) for the right foot, and the group with normal BMI values scored higher than the obese group (p = 0.001). For the left foot, 11‐ and 13‐year‐olds differed (p = 0.024) with respect to age in general. The overweight and obese group scored lower than the normal BMI group (p = 0.039; p = 0.001, respectively).Conclusions: Overall, the feet in this study were classified as normal, with a tendency to pronation, particularly in boys. There were differences between the 11 and 13 year groups and, with regard to BMI, there were higher scores for the group with normal BMI. Therefore, a higher BMI in adolescence is not indicative of a pronated foot type.

To evaluate and compare rearfoot alignment and medial longitudinal arch index during static postures in runners, with and without symptoms and histories of plantar fasciitis (PF). PF is the third most common injury in runners but, so far, its etiology remains unclear. In the literature, rearfoot misalignment and conformations of the longitudinal plantar arch have been described as risk factors for the development of PF. However, in most of the investigated literature, the results are still controversial, mainly regarding athletic individuals and the effects of pain associated with these injuries. Forty-five runners with plantar fasciitis (30 symptomatic and 15 with previous histories of injuries) and 60 controls were evaluated. Pain was assessed by a visual analogue scale. The assessment of rearfoot alignment and the calculations of the arch index were performed by digital photographic images. There were observed similarities between the three groups regarding the misalignments of the rearfoot valgus. The medial longitudinal arches were more elevated in the group with symptoms and histories of PF, compared to the control runners. Runners with symptoms or histories of PF did not differ in rearfoot valgus misalignments, but showed increases in the longitudinal plantar arch during bipedal static stance, regardless of the presence of pain symptoms.