MedicineNet.com
  MedicineNet home Picture Slideshows Diseases and conditions Symptoms and signs Procedures and tests Medications Health and Living Health news and views MedTerms medical dictionary  
Font Size
A
A
A


Scoliosis

Medical Author: Jason C. Eck, DO, MS
Medical Editor: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

What is scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a disorder that causes an abnormal curve of the spine, or backbone. The spine has normal curves when looking from the side, but it should look straight when looking from the front. People with scoliosis develop additional curves to either side, and the bones twist on each other like a corkscrew.

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 10 years old.

What causes scoliosis?

In most cases, the cause of scoliosis is unknown (idiopathic). This type of scoliosis is described based on the age when scoliosis develops. If the patient is less than 3 years old, it is called infantile idiopathic scoliosis. Scoliosis that develops between 3 and 10 years of age is called juvenile idiopathic scoliosis, and patients that are over 10 years old have adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

There are two other 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 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. This type of scoliosis develops in patients with other disorders including birth defects, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, or Marfan's disease. This type of scoliosis is often much more severe and needs more aggressive treatment than other forms of scoliosis.


Next: What are the symptoms of scoliosis? »


Printer-Friendly Format  |  Email to a Friend


space Related health and medical articles From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com MedicineNet Doctors recommend space
space
MedicineNet Doctors Recommend
  • Lower Back Pain - Get information on causes of lower back pain (arthritis, pregnancy, herniated disc, sciatica, spinal stenosis, endometriosis, ovarian cysts), treatment and diagnosis. Source:MedicineNet
  • Marfan Syndrome - Read about Marfan syndrome, a hereditary condition affecting connective tissue. A person with Marfan syndrome may exhibit the following symptoms and characteristics: dislocation of one or both lenses of the eye; a protruding or indented breastbone; scoliosis; flat feet; aortic dilatation; dural ectasia; stretch marks; hernia; and lung collapse. Though there is no cure for Marfan syndrome, there are treatments that can minimize and sometimes prevent some complications. Source:Government
  • Puberty - Read about the physical changes of puberty (growth spurt, pubic hair, period, zits, breast development), hormones (testosterone, estrogen) and sexual maturity stages. Source:MedicineNet
  • Read 62 more Scoliosis related articles ...
Latest Medical News
space

Parenting and Pregnancy

Get tips for baby and you.




Topics Related to Scoliosis
Diseases & Conditions
more »

Scoliosis
RSS FeedSpecialty RSS       Add to My Yahoo! What is this?

Overscheduled Families Overscheduled Families
Do you run your kids from one activity to another, day after day? If so, you should take a minute to watch.See more WebMD Videos »












Health categories:

Slideshows | Diseases & Conditions | Symptoms & Signs | Procedures & Tests | Medications | Health & Living | News & Views | Medical Dictionary

Popular health centers:

Allergies | Arthritis | Cancer | Diabetes | Digestion | Healthy Kids | Heart | Men's Health | Mental Health | Women's Health | More...

Publications:

ePublications (PDFs) | XML News via RSS | Audio Podcasts | Email Newsletters

MedicineNet.com:

About Us | Privacy Policy | Search Help | Site Map | WebMD® | Medscape® | eMedicine® | eMedicineHealth® | RxList®

HON Code We comply with the HONcode standard for health trust worthy information:
verify here.

©1996-2008 MedicineNet, Inc. All rights reserved. Notices and Legal Disclaimer.
MedicineNet does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.