ABSTRACT
Scoliosis is a lateral and rotational curvature of the thoracic and lumbar spine measuring greater than 10. Three major categories exist. The first, idiopathic scoliosis, accounts for 80% of cases with a predilection for adolescent females. The second category, neuromuscular scoliosis, describes an acquired deformity that results from neurologic impairment of either a peripheral or central nature. The third category involves those forms with congenital onset or that are attributable to other connective tissue and musculoskeletal disorders. Children with severe neurological impairment are at high risk for the development of scoliosis, especially within certain diagnostic groups. For example, 90% of boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) will develop scoliosis. In cerebral palsy, the incidence is highest in those most severely affected, usually with quadraplegic, hemiplegic, and dystonic forms of CP.
DIAGNOSIS AND EVALUATION
