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What Is Idiopathic Scoliosis?

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Idiopathic Scoliosis is a spinal deformity that involves an irregular curvature of the spine. This condition can appear and progress during any growing period in healthy children or young adults, affecting more girls then boys. During these growing periods the spine of the child can be considered developing in the shape of an “S” or a “C” (Rigo, Villagrasa, & Gallo, 2010, para. 1). There are three different types of idiopathic scoliosis that can affect a specific age group. The first is infantile which affects children ages 1-3, the second is juvenile which affects ages 3-10, and lastly there is adolescent type which affects children after the age of 10 to after the onset of puberty (Edgar, 2002, p. 270). These groups are categorized by when …show more content…

According to Schlösser, T. C., van der Heijden, G. G., Versteeg, A. L., and Castelein, R. M. (2014), from the Department of Orthopedic Surgery of University Medical Center Utrechet, “Studies suggest that the abnormal spinal curvature may be related to hormonal problems, abnormal bone or muscle growth, nervous system abnormalities, or other factors that have not been identified” (p. 5). This condition can also be a result of some genetic or environmental problems (Wajchenberg et al., 2010, para. 2). Due to this idea, researchers mainly suspect that many genes are involved in the start of this condition. While some genes may contribute to this disorder, others are a deciding factor as to how severe the spinal curvature and if it will continue to progress or not. Idiopathic Scoliosis can affect more than one family member, or only one in a family, leaving the inheritance pattern of idiopathic scoliosis unclear. Due to this pattern, heredity could also be considered another factor because researchers have found a connection to the 19p13.3 chromosome, which has the highest gene density of all chromosomes (Wajchenberg et al., 2010, para. 4). Regardless of all the studies on the genes, there have only been a few clear and consistent …show more content…

Like stated earlier, these curves develop in the shapes of an ‘S’ or ‘C’ (Rigo et al., 2010, para. 1). Most curves tend to affect the thoracic and the lumbar parts of the spine, according to Ibrahim, D. A., Myung, K. S., & Skaggs, D. L. (2013), from Children’s Orthopedic Center (p. 830). The thoracic is found in the upper back and goes from the base of the neck to the bottom of the rib cage, while the lumbar is just below that. The curve will go to one side of the thoracic and the other side for the lumbar or they both will go the same way. The curve is measured by the Cobb method. According to Langensiepen et all. (2013), from Paediatric Rehabilitation at the University of Cologne, this is how the Cobb method is used to find the angle and degree of the curvature. First, one must decide where the end-vertebrae of the curve is which are the upper and lower limits of the curve that are tilted most severely. Then, draw a line along both the endplates. When these lines intersect, it will give you the angle of interest. From that angle, may can estimate the degree of rotation of the vertebra by looking at the relation of the pedicles, a stub of bone that helps form the vertebral arch, to the midline (p. 2361). Any curves with degrees under 20 is considered a mild cases and requires only observation, while curves over 20 degrees require some sort of

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