How many types of scoliosis are there

Idiopathic scoliosis has no known cause. The most common type, known as adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, develops between ages 10 and Juvenile cases diagnosed between ages 4 and 9, and infantile cases in children 3 years and under, are also possible. Congenital scoliosis is a rare condition that develops in the womb and lingers after birth. About one in 10, babies have this condition. Congenital scoliosis is usually corrected with surgery. Degenerative scoliosis, also called adult onset scoliosis, develops later in life when the facet joints linking spinal vertebrae begin to deteriorate.

An asymmetrical spine may appear slowly as a person ages, often causing no symptoms and therefore remaining undetected. Types of Scoliosis Based on Spinal Curve You also hear doctors refer to scoliosis based on the direction and location of the irregular spinal curve. The most common ones include: Thoracic scoliosis: The curve is located in the mid thoracic spine. This is the most common location for scoliosis to develop.

Lumbar scoliosis: The curve is located in the lower lumbar spine. Thoracolumbar scoliosis: Vertebrae from both the thoracic and lumbar spinal sections are involved in the curvature. Levoscoliosis: The spine curves to the left, forming a C shape. In one year study, about 40 percent of adult scoliosis patients experienced a progression.

Of those, 10 percent showed a very significant progression, while the other 30 percent experienced a very mild progression, usually of less than one degree per year. Degenerative scoliosis occurs most frequently in the lumbar spine lower back and more commonly affects people age 65 and older.

It is often accompanied by spinal stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal, which pinches the spinal nerves and makes it difficult for them to function normally. Back pain associated with degenerative scoliosis usually begins gradually and is linked with activity. The curvature of the spine in this form of scoliosis is often relatively minor, so surgery may only be advised when conservative methods fail to alleviate pain associated with the condition. When there is a confirmed diagnosis of scoliosis, there are several issues to assess that can help determine treatment options:.

In many children with scoliosis, the spinal curve is mild enough to not require treatment. However, if the doctor is worried that the curve may be increasing, he or she may wish to examine the child every four to six months throughout adolescence. In adults with scoliosis, X-rays are usually recommended once every five years, unless symptoms are getting progressively worse.

Braces are only effective in patients who have not reached skeletal maturity. If the child is still growing and his or her curve is between 25 degrees and 40 degrees, a brace may be recommended to prevent the curve from progressing. There have been improvements in brace design and the newer models fit under the arm, not around the neck.

There are several different types of braces available. While there is some disagreement among experts as to which type of brace is most effective, large studies indicate that braces, when used with full compliance, successfully stop curve progression in about 80 percent of children with scoliosis. For optimal effectiveness, the brace should be checked regularly to assure a proper fit and may need to be worn 16 to 23 hours every day until growth stops.

In children, the two primary goals of surgery are to stop the curve from progressing during adulthood and to diminish spinal deformity. Most experts would recommend surgery only when the spinal curve is greater than 40 degrees and there are signs of progression. This surgery can be done using an anterior approach through the front or a posterior approach through the back depending on the particular case.

Some adults who were treated as children may need revision surgery, in particular if they were treated 20 to 30 years ago, before major advances in spinal surgery procedures were implemented. Back then, it was common to fuse a long segment of the spine.

When many vertebral segments of the spine are fused together, the remaining mobile segments assume much more of the load and the stress associated with movements. Adjacent segment disease is the process in which degenerative changes occur over time in the mobile segments above and below the spinal fusion.

This can result in painful arthritis of the discs, facet joints and ligaments. Adults with degenerative scoliosis and spinal stenosis may require decompression surgery with spinal fusion and a surgical approach from both the front and back. A number of factors can lead to increased surgical-related risks in older adults with degenerative scoliosis.

In general, both surgery and recovery time are expected to be longer in older adults with scoliosis. Posterior approach: The most frequently performed surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis involves posterior spinal fusion with instrumentation and bone grafting.

This is performed through the back while the patient lies on his or her stomach. During this surgery, the spine is straightened with rigid rods, followed by spinal fusion. Spinal fusion involves adding a bone graft to the curved area of the spine, which creates a solid union between two or more vertebrae. The metal rods attached to the spine ensure that the backbone remains straight while the spinal fusion takes effect. This procedure usually takes several hours in children, but will generally take longer in older adults.

With recent advances in technology, most people with idiopathic scoliosis are released within a week of surgery and do not require post-surgical bracing. Most patients are able to return to school or work in two to four weeks post surgery and are able to resume all pre-surgical activities within four to six months. Anterior approach: The patient lies on his or her side during the surgery. The surgeon makes incisions in the patient's side, deflates the lung and removes a rib in order to reach the spine.

See Scoliosis Treatment. If a person with nonstructural scoliosis were to bend forward or lay down, the scoliosis curve would likely go away while held in that position. Structural scoliosis is typically considered more serious because it does not straighten out on its own and can potentially result in more spinal deformity. See Scoliosis: Symptoms, Treatment and Surgery.

See All About Degenerative Scoliosis. Rarely, scoliosis is caused by a spinal lesion or tumor. Usually, patients who are younger age 8 to 11 than typical scoliosis patients will experience symptoms such as pain, numbness and a left-curving thoracic spine. A physician who sees any or a combination of these symptoms will order additional diagnostic tests, such as an MRI, to rule out the possibility of spinal tumor or other lesions as a cause of scoliosis.