Adult Scoliosis

 Overview  |  Signs and Challenges  |  Conservative Treatment  |  Surgical Correction

  Adult scoliosis is a condition where rotation of the spinal vertebrae leads to curvature of the spine in a person who has finished growing (usually by 18 - 21 years old). In order to be classified as scoliosis, the curve must exceed 10°.

  Curves can occur in the chest area (thoracic spine) or the lower back area (lumbar spine). Curves involve areas of the spine which lie in between, such as thoracolumbar. The neck or cervical spine is rarely involved.

Causes of Adult Idiopathic Scoliosis

  When curvature of the spine starts in adolescence in an otherwise healthy person, it is most commonly diagnosed as "adolescent idiopathic scoliosis". Idiopathic refers to the fact that the curve is not associated with other known problems such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, neurofibromatosis, or a number of other conditions.

  After age 18, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis becomes "adult idiopathic scoliosis". It is the same curve present during the teen years but the spine does not behave the same way as the teenage spine. As a person with scoliosis ages, the spine develops premature aging changes in the back joints such as bone spurs, degenerative discs, and thickened spinal ligaments. This leads to a condition known as "adult idiopathic scoliosis with degenerative changes". These degenerative changes superimposed on a curve that is already present can sometimes cause back pain, leg pain, spinal imbalance, and progression or worsening of the curve.

  For adult curves greater than 50°, natural history studies suggest a higher likelihood of curve progressing at about 1° per year. For curves in the lumbar spine or lower back, there is a high chance of progression if the curve is greater than 35-40°.

 Overview  |  Signs and Challenges  |  Conservative Treatment  |  Surgical Correction