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Scoliosis
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Scoliosis is a curve of the spine off to one side, often shaped like an S or a C. It is a post that, instead of rising straight, veers to one side and comes back. Not every deviation counts as scoliosis: the curve must measure at least ten degrees in the coronal plane, which is the view from the front.
The most common form in children and adolescents is adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Idiopathic means exactly that, that no cause can be found; it is not a comfortable answer, but it is the honest one.
It shows up especially when children are growing quickly, it is more common in girls than in boys, and sometimes there are other cases in the same family.
In brief
Scoliosis is a sideways curve of the spine, often shaped like an S or a C, and it must measure at least ten degrees in the coronal plane.
It is a post that, instead of rising straight, veers to one side and comes back.
The most common form in children and adolescents is adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, and idiopathic means that no cause can be found.
It is most frequent when children are growing quickly, it is more common in girls, and there may be other cases in the family.
Sources (2)
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of MedicineScoliosis, MedlinePlusPublished
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingAdolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated