What is scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a spinal axial deviation in all three planes, affecting posture and movement.

Due to the deviation of the spine, typical trunk deformities are bending sideways and rotating to the side of the convexity , bending to one side and rotating to the opposite side. In  the curve shown below, the convex side is to the right. This is the most common presentation.

A scoliosis is diagnosed when  a spinal curve  exceeds 10 degrees Cobb angle on x-ray. The most common kind of scoliosis is idiopathic. This means that the cause is at present unknown, and 80-90% of all  patients will have an idiopathic curve. Idiopathic scoliosis is further subdivided into 3 groups according to when the first features of scoliosis are detected.

To view the different types of scoliosis click here.

The occurrence of scoliosis can be due to a number of causes, including neurological  injury such as  cerebral palsy, poliomyelitis, damage to bone structure from osteoarthritis or rickets, disease process of some kind, genetic defect. Causation in the categories of idiopathic scoliosis above is uncertain, but recent research appears to show that the initial problem is in the disc between the vertebra.
For more information on the causes of scoliosis click here.