International Journal of Health Sciences

An Overview of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis with a Focus on the Patient Psyche
Kristyn Ramsey, PA-C; Dr. Alicia Elam, Pharm

Background
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is defined as a lateral or coronal curvature of the spine in patients ≥10 years old (1, 2). While adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a relatively common pediatric deformity affecting 2- 3% of the pediatric population (1, 2), a specific etiology has not yet been identified (1-7). Various ideas have been discussed and researched with no definitive conclusion. Genetics is the most accepted theory of the etiology of AIS. Once a diagnosis of AIS is made, an angle of lateral curvature, known as the Cobb angle, is calculated to determine the magnitude of spinal deformities. The lateral curvature is then divided into subcategories of severity dependent upon the amount of curvature calculated (1). Truncal asymmetry is undoubtedly the most common initial symptom in AIS patients (1, 8). “Most patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis visit the hospital when a trunk deformity, such as rib or lumbar hump and waist asymmetry, has been noted, either after a school screening or by family members, and these patients rarely visit the hospital due to back pain (8).” If pain is identified as the initial complaint concerning the spine, this is usually indicative of an underlying disease process such as neuromuscular scoliosis, and further evaluation should be conducted to determine the specific origin of the pain (1).

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/ijhs.v5n3a3