Scoliosis: Life, Support & Friends

Scoliosis may occur throughout growth and devlopment. The most common form, adolsecent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), usually becomes apparent during the adolescent growth spurt. Infantile and junvenile forms of scoliosis become apparent earlier in development. Initial inspection of the newborn is the first chance to identify an underlying pathology that ultimately may lead to the devlopment of scoliosis. Initially, obvious trunk asymmetry is absent. Close observation of patients with congeital or skeletal abnormalities may lead to early detection of spinal deformity, which will allow for timely and effective treatment. Some anomalies such as congenital kyphosis, whether from failure of formation or segmentation, may be difficult to identify in the very young child. Other congenital pathologies such as hemivertebrae may result in severe scoliosis. These congenital pathologies may not become clinically apparent until the child attains an upright, umbulatory stance. Occasionally early surgi...

Background Studies on adolescent idiopathic scoliosis have well documented the differences between natural history of male and female patients. There are also differences in responses to nonoperative treatment, but the results of operative treatment in male patients compared with females have not been widely reported. Only few studies had compared the outcomes of operative treatment between male and female patients with different results. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the outcome of 150 (112 girls and 38 boys) consecutive patients with diagnosis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis who were managed surgically between May 1996 and September 2005. Next, male radiographic parameters were compared with female ones pre- and postoperatively. Then, a subgroup of 38 matched girls was compared regarding the age, curve type, curve magnitude, and the instrumentation we used. Results In comparing male patients with unmatched girls, the boys had greater mean age (17.3 +/- 2.3 vs. 16.3 +/- 2.9; ...