ABSTRACT
The vertebral column of human beings consists of natural bends along its course defined as curvatures. These can be either primary curvatures that are present since intrauterine development or secondary curves that develop after birth due to weight bearing. The primary curves are present in the thoracic and sacral regions, and the secondary curves in cervical and lumbar region develop as a result of head lifting and standing over course of time. Scoliosis is the lateral and rotational deformity of the vertebral bodies, which causes the shift of the spines of vertebrae toward the concave side. The oldest and simple classification of scoliosis dates back to 1905, when Schulthess divided scoliosis based on the region of the abnormality as cervicothoracic, thoracic, thoracolumbar and lumbar. The scoliotic curves are generally named with the side facing the convexity as left-sided and right-sided curves. Reported incidence of postoperative complications after scoliosis surgery varies widely and largely depends upon the definition of complications used.
