Scoliosis-What Causes It?

Eighty-five percent of people with scoliosis have the "idiopathic" type. "Idiopathic" means "no known cause." It commonly affects adolescents as they complete the last major growth spurt. Idiopathic scoliosis frequently runs in families and may be due to genetic or hereditary influences. Idiopathic scoliosis may appear at any age but most often appears in early adolescence. At this age young people are reluctant to allow their bodies to be seen by parents and other adults. As a result, the Scoliosis Research Society and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons have endorsed school screening programs to detect scoliosis curves before they may become advanced. In contrast to idiopathic scoliosis, there are several less common types of scoliosis which do have a known cause. These curves may be due to defects of spinal vertebrae already present at birth ("congenital scoliosis"), disorders of the central nervous system such as cerebral palsy, muscle diseases (muscular dystrophy), disorders of connective tissue (Marfan's syndrome), and chromosome abnormalities (Down's syndrome).