The suitability and attraction of the population of the United Arab Emirates for the study of genetic inheritance in scoliosis

Background Recently, significant advances have been made in understanding the aetiology of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) in the area of genetic inheritance. Essential to the success of these studies is the finding of large families with several cases of AIS from which blood samples can be collected and analysed. The emirati culture is unique and encourages large families with many children, often several wives with the same husband, and many cases of consanguinity especially among first cousins. This complex family structure might very well be suited to provide more appropriate examples for the study of genetic heritage in AIS than the more typical western family.