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Scoliosis

Overview 

Scoliosis is a curve in the coronal plane of the spine, when the normal alignment is straight. Scoliosis causes the spine to curve and rotate out of normal alignment.

Potential causes

Scoliosis can occur for a number of reasons. Patients with cerebral palsy, spina bifida or muscular dystrophy are susceptible to this condition. People with growth disorders such as Marfan’s Disease, achondroplasia or neurofibromatosis also tend to develop scoliosis.

A number of patients develop scoliosis without any clear explanation of why they developed the condition, known as idiopathic scoliosis. Teenage girls tend to develop this form, which can pass down through families.

Treatment options

Your doctor might recommend surgery to correct the scoliosis. Scoliosis surgery generally involves attaching metal screws or hooks to the spine and attaching rods to the screws or hooks to straighten the spinal curve.

Patients who didn’t require surgery as a child might need surgery as an adult, as the curve becomes more pronounced and causes pain. Some adult scoliosis patients who had surgery as a child might find the curve becomes worse outside of the prior surgical area, and they might need a second surgery to correct the new curve. Successful treatment protocols are available for all types of scoliosis patients.

Some patients, usually 50 years old or above, can develop scoliosis from degenerative arthritis of the lower spine. They also usually have leg pain, with or without weakness. Degenerative scoliosis can be treated several different ways, but if surgery is necessary, patients usually need a spinal fusion. The length of the fusion for patients with degenerative scoliosis is generally shorter than for patients with idiopathic scoliosis.