Lenke and King classification systems for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: interobserver agreement and postoperative results

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to investigate the interobserver agreement of the Lenke and King classifications for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, and to compare the results of surgery performed based on classification of the scoliosis according to each of these classification systems. METHODS The study was conducted in Shohada Hospital in Tabriz, Iran, between 2009 and 2010. First, a reliability assessment was undertaken to assess interobserver agreement of the Lenke and King classifications for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Second, postoperative efficacy and safety of surgery performed based on the Lenke and King classifications were compared. Kappa coefficients of agreement were calculated to assess the agreement. Outcomes were compared using bivariate tests and repeated measures analysis of variance. RESULTS A low to moderate interobserver agreement was observed for the King classification; the Lenke classification yielded mostly high agreement coefficients. The outcome of surgery was not found to be substantially different between the two systems. CONCLUSION Based on the results, the Lenke classification method seems advantageous. This takes into consideration the Lenke classification's priority in providing details of curvatures in different anatomical surfaces to explain precise intensity of scoliosis, that it has higher interobserver agreement scores, and also that it leads to noninferior postoperative results compared with the King classification method.