Rick Sasso, MD

In these next series of blog entries – I will answer common questions about scoliosis – including the diagnosis, and provide an overview of the treatment options both medical and surgical treatments.

The Scoliosis Research Society defines scoliosis as a lateral deviation of the normal vertical line of the spine, which is greater than ten degrees when measured by an X-ray.  Scoliosis is often referred to as “curvature of the spine.”

According to the National Scoliosis Foundation (NSF), scoliosis affects 2-3% of the population.  The common age for onset is 10-15 years, old and it affects both genders equally although females are eight times more likely to have a greater degree of curvature that requires treatment the NSF indicates.  Although scoliosis is not heredity, there is an increased likelihood of an individual being diagnosed with scoliosis if a family member has had it. 

The different types of scoliosis include:

§         Idiopathic Scoliosis – This is where scoliosis occurs without a known cause.  This is the most common type of scoliosis.

§         Congenital Scoliosis – This is when an individual is born with scoliosis as a result of the vertebrae not being properly formed during pregnancy.  This malformation occurs within the first six weeks of embryonic formation.

§          Neuromuscular Scoliosis – This is caused as a result of a neurological disorder such as muscular dystrophy that results in a weak trunk and the individual can not support the weight of their body.

§         Adult Scoliosis – This is when scoliosis is diagnosed in an individual as an adult.  It can either be undiagnosed scoliosis when the individual was younger or the result of age-related degeneration.  An example of age-related scoliosis is osteoporosis. 

If you have a question on scoliosis that you would like answered in this series of blog entries, please send your question to info@indianaspinegroup.com.