Scoliosis: Life, Support & Friends

ScoliosisJournal have recently published a paper about conservative treatment of idiopathic scoliosis according to FITS concept: presentation of the method and preliminary, short term radiological and clinical results based on SOSORT and SRS criteria. Background Conservative scoliosis therapy according to the FITS Concept is applied as a unique treatment or in combination with corrective bracing. The aim of the study was to present author's method of diagnosis and therapy for idiopathic scoliosis FITS - Functional Individual Therapy of Scoliosis and to analyze the early results of FITS therapy in a series of consecutive patients. Methods The analysis comprised separately: (1) single structural thoracic, thoracolumbar or lumbar curves and (2) double structural scoliosis - thoracic and thoracolumbar or lumbar curves. The Cobb angle and Risser sign were analyzed at the initial stage and at the 2.8- year follow-up. The percentage of patients improved (defined as decrease of Cobb...

Authors: Angelos Kaspiris, Theodoros B Grivas, Hans-Rudolf Weiss and Deborah Turnbull Published By: ScoliosisJournal Background In view of the limited data available on the conservative treatment of patients with congenital scoliosis (CS), early surgery is suggested in mild cases with formation failures. Patients with segmentation failures will not benefit from conservative treatment. The purpose of this review is to identify the mid- or long-term results of spinal fusion surgery in patients with congenital scoliosis. Methods Retrospective and prospective studies were included, reporting on the outcome of surgery in patients with congenital scoliosis. Studies concerning a small numbers of cases treated conservatively were included too. We analyzed mid-term (5 to 7 years) and long-term results (7 years or more), both as regards the maintenance of the correction of scoliosis and the safety of instrumentation, the early and late complications of surgery and thei...

ScoliosisJournal published a new article regarding the determination of quality of life in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis subjected to conservative treatment. Authors: Angelo G Aulisa, Vincenzo Guzzanti, Carlo Perisano, Emanuele Marzetti, Alessandro Specchia, Marco Giordano and Lorenzo Aulisa Introduction and objectives. Physical deformities caused by adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) coupled with conservative treatment of AIS with orthesis unavoidably impacts on patients' quality of life (QoL). The present study aimed at evaluating the QoL in patients affected by AIS treated with brace. The study also sought to determine the ability of different QoL questionnaires to monitor QoL over the course of treatment. Materials and Methods. Data were collected in 108 consecutive patients (96 females, 16 males) affected by AIS admitted to the outpatient orthopaedic clinic of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome (Italy). Patients were subjected to full-time (i.e....

The outcomes of scoliosis treatment are being evaluated continually in an attempt to optimise the results for each scoliosis patient. The two prinicpal goals of any scoliosis surgery are to limit further curve progression and achieve some degreeof deformity correction. The greater the focus on deformity correction, however, the greater the risk of procedure, with the most obvious risk being limitation of spinal cord function. Advances in surgical technique, instrumentation, and intra-operative monitoring of the spinal cord have allowed greater and safer deformity correction than that achieved with the Harrington rod , which is the correction I had in 1989. The Harrington rod is from the era of the 1960s and 1970s. Deformity correction both radiographically and with regard to trunk shape is important to many patients with scoliosis. The functional outcome after fusion is equally important and may be assessed using a variety of methods, including measurements of physiologic function, s...

The Scoliosis Association (UK) will be holding a meeting specifically focused on infants in London. The meeting will be held on Saturday 26th June, 2010, at the Sir Herbert Seddon Teaching Centre at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, London. The meeting will be hosted by Mr Hilali Noordeen FRCS who, along with a team of scoliosis specialists, will be discussing the causes and diagnosis of infantile, juvenile and congenital scoliosis, treatment options and current research. There will also be parents discussing their personal experiences of coping with the condition and opportunities to ask questions and chat with other families. This is the first infantile meeting that SAUK has held for many years and it is a fantastic opportunity for parents of infants or young children with scoliosis to get dedicated information and to pose questions to scoliosis specialists. For more information please contact: 020 8964 5343 or visit the SAUK website where you can sign up onl...

ScoliosisJournal report that a specific scoliosis classification correlating with brace treatment: description and reliability Connect with Scoliosis patients on our Scoliosis Yahoo! support group Authors: Manuel D Rigo , Monica Villagrasa and Dino Gallo Background Spinal classification systems for scoliosis which were developed to correlate with surgical treatment have historically been used in brace treatment as well. There has previously not been classification systems developed specifically to correlate with brace design and treatment. The purpose of this study is to show the intra- and inter- observer reliability of a new scoliosis classification system correlating with brace treatment. Methods A novel classification system ("Rigo Classification") was developed in order to define specific principles of correction required for efficacious brace design and fabrication. The classification includes radiological as well as clinical criteria. The radiological crite...

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Discuss Scoliosis with other patients on our scoliosis support group Orthopaedic surgeons are optimistic about recent improvements in operative treatment of very young children suffering from scoliosis severe enough to consider surgery, even for those under the age of five years. For decades, spinal fusion surgery has been the prescription for severe scoliosis. The significant drawback of early fusion is that growth of the spine stops and this, in turn, interferes with the development of the lungs and chest cavity. "Scoliosis surgeons are exploring opportunities to treat a child's chest and spine to allow continued growth," reports B. Stephens Richards, MD, moderator of a media briefing on scoliosis treatment advances on Friday, February 16 at the Academy's 74th Annual Meeting. "Although the majority of scoliosis surgical patients present in early adolescence when spinal growth is no longer an issue, there are some v...

Three to five of every 1,000 children develop spinal curves serious enough to warrant medical attention. And yet, in general terms, the cause of these curves – known as “scoliosis” – remains unknown, and the effectiveness of the most common treatment is in question. Researchers at Shriners Hospitals for Children are working hard to discover answers to these questions, and to improve the quality of care and quality of life for children with scoliosis, a curvature of the spine greater than 10 degrees, which makes the spine look more like an “S” or a “C” than a straight line when viewed on an X-ray. Once scoliosis has been diagnosed, the primary concern is whether the curve will progress, and treatment is aimed at stopping that progression. While scoliosis can occur at any age, the most common type, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), affects 2 to 4 percent of children between the ages of 10 and 16, particularly girls. Treatment options include observation for small curves, bracing in ...

Scoliosis Journal have reported about the treatment of thoraco-lumbar curves in adolescent females affected by idiopathic Scoliosis with a progressive action short brace (PASB): assessment of results according to the SRS committee on bracing and nonoperative management standardization criteria. Authors: Angelo G. Aulisa, Vincenzo Guzzanti, Marco Galli, Carlo Perisano, Francesco Falciglia and Lorenzo Aulisa Published: 18 September 2009 Background The effectiveness of conservative treatment of scoliosis is controversial. Some studies suggest that brace is effective in stopping curve progression, whilst others did not report such an effect. The purpose of the present study was to effectiveness of Progressive Action Short Brace (PASB) in the correction of thoraco-lumbar curves, in agreement with the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) Committee on Bracing and Nonoperative Management Standardisation Criteria. Methods Fifty adolescent females (mean age 11.8 +/- 0.5 years) with thoraco-lumbar ...

ScoliosisJournal have reported on the effectiveness of complete conservative treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (bracing and exercises) based on SOSORT management criteria: results according to the SRS criteria for bracing studies - 2009 SOSORT Award Winner Authors: Stefano Negrini, Salvatore Atanasio, Claudia Fusco email and Fabio Zaina Published: 4 September 2009 Background The SRS criteria give the methodological reference framework for the presentation of bracing results, while the SOSORT criteria give the clinical reference framework for an appropriate bracing treatment. The two have not been combined in a study until now. Our aim was to verify the efficacy of a complete, conservative treatment of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) according to the best methodological and management criteria defined in the literature. Methods Study Design. Retrospective study. Population. We included all AIS patients respecting the SRS inclusion criteria (age 10 years or older; Ris...

Scoliosis journal reported a case report about undiagnosed osteoid osteoma of the spine presenting as painful scoliosis from adolescence to adulthood Authors: George Sapkas, Nicolas Efstathopoulos and Michael Papadakis Abstract (provisional) Presented here is a case of a young woman, with an undiagnosed osteoid osteoma of the spine, which presented with painful scoliosis in adolescence and was treated by bracing until her accession to adulthood. A more thorough investigation, years after the initial one, revealed the tumor. Surgical excision and stabilization offered the long- awaited cure. Misdiagnosis resulted in intractable pain for years, deformity, the discomfort of brace therapy, and the frustration of a prolonged yet ineffective treatment. Background The most common cause of painful Scoliosis in adolescents is osteoid osteoma of the spine. Up to 25% of all Osteoid Osteomas are found in the spine, of which 60% are located in the lumbar spine, 27% of the cervical, 12% in the thor...