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Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a disorder that causes an abnormal curve of the spine, or backbone. There is a normal spinal curve when looking from the side, but the spine should appear straight when looking from the front. Kyphosis is a curve in the spine seen from the side in which the spine is bent forward. There is a normal kyphosis in the middle (thoracic) spine. Lordosis is a curve seen from the side in which the spine is bent backward. There is a normal lordosis in the upper (cervical) spine and the lower spine or lumbar spine. People with scoliosis develop additional curves to either side of the body, and the bones of the spine twist on each other, forming a C or an S-shaped or scoliosis curve in the spine. Scoliosis ranges from 10-20 degrees (mild), 20-50 degrees (moderate), and severe (greater than 50 degrees).

Scoliosis is about two times more common in girls than boys. It can be seen at any age, but it is most common in those over about 10 years of age. Scoliosis is hereditary in that people with scoliosis are more likely to have children with scoliosis; however, there is no correlation between the severity of the curves from one generation to the next.

What are the causes of other types of scoliosis?

As stated above, idiopathic scoliosis and its subtypes comprise over 80% of all scoliosis patients. However, there are three other main types of scoliosis:

  • Functional: In this type of scoliosis, the spine is normal, but an abnormal curve develops because of a problem somewhere else in the body. This could be caused by one leg being shorter than the other, carrying heavy loads that cause unequal weight-bearing, or by muscle spasms in the back.
  • Neuromuscular: In this type of scoliosis, there is a problem when the bones of the spine are formed. Either the bones of the spine fail to form completely or they fail to separate from each other during fetal development. This type of congenital scoliosis develops in people with other disorders, including birth defects, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, or Marfan syndrome (an inherited connective tissue disease). People with these conditions often develop a long C-shaped curve and have weak muscles that are unable to hold them up straight. If the curve is present at birth, it is called congenital scoliosis. This type of scoliosis is often much more severe (severe scoliosis) and needs more aggressive treatment than other forms of scoliosis.
  • Degenerative: Unlike the other forms of scoliosis that are found in children and teens, degenerative scoliosis occurs in older adults. It is caused by changes in the spine due to arthritis known as spondylosis. Weakening of the normal ligaments and other soft tissues of the spine combined with abnormal bone spurs can lead to an abnormal curvature of the spine. The spine can also be affected by osteoporosis, vertebral compression fractures, and disc degeneration.

What causes scoliosis?

Scoliosis affects about 2% of females and 0.5% of males. In most cases, the cause of scoliosis is unknown (known as idiopathic). This type of scoliosis is described based on the age when scoliosis develops, as are other some other types of scoliosis.

  • If the person is less than 3 years old, it is called infantile idiopathic scoliosis (or early-onset, that is associated with other problems like chest wall deformities, spina bifida, and others).
  • Scoliosis that develops between 3-10 years of age is called juvenile idiopathic scoliosis.
  • People who are over 10 years old (10-18 years old) have adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

More than 80% of people with scoliosis have idiopathic scoliosis, the most common type of scoliosis, and the majority of those are adolescent girls; the most common location for scoliosis is in the thoracic spine.

Medical literature often has more specific names or terms for scoliosis:

  • Kyphoscoliosis: a combination of outward and lateral spine curvature
  • Dextroscoliosis: curvature of the spine to the right
  • Roto scoliosis (rotatory): curvature of the vertebral column turned on its axis
  • Levoconvex: curvature of the spine to the left
  • Thoracolumbar: curvature related to both the thoracic and lumbar regions of the spine