Causes and treatments of scoliosis in children

Scoliosis in children is, to some extent, a congenital disease and may be affected by the mother. Some children also suffer from malnutrition after birth or incorrect posture. But parents don’t need to worry. After all, our medical technology is constantly updating, and more and more treatments are emerging. So what are the causes and treatments for scoliosis in children?

Causes of Scoliosis

The cause of congenital scoliosis is unclear, but it may be related to abnormalities of the spine during the 5th to 8th week of embryogenesis. The occurrence of idiopathic scoliosis is currently believed to be mainly related to abnormal secretion of melatonin. Marfan syndrome is a connective tissue disorder that often causes scoliosis. Neurofibromatosis combined with scoliosis is mainly caused by the destruction of the vertebral structure by the tumor. Discover the age of spinal deformity, understand the speed of development of spinal deformity, associated symptoms such as pain, fatigue, shortness of breath after exercise, palpitations, numbness of the lower limbs, difficulty walking, etc., and understand whether secondary sexual characteristics appear and when they appear. Very helpful in understanding scoliosis.

Some scoliosis is congenital, while others are acquired. Congenital scoliosis is mainly caused by heredity or some factors in the mother. The causes of acquired scoliosis can be roughly divided into the following categories:

1. Scoliosis caused by unbalanced muscle tension due to poliomyelitis, neurofibroma, syringomyelia, cerebral palsy, etc. The younger the patient is, the more severe the curvature is.

2. Suffering from purulent or tuberculous pleurisy in childhood, excessive thickening and contracture of the costal pleura, or undergoing thoracoplasty in childhood can disrupt the balance of the spine during development and cause scoliosis.

3. Osteoporotic scoliosis: Osteoporotic vertebrae deform, resulting in uneven widths between vertebrae, which can cause spinal curvature.

4. Malnutrition-induced scoliosis: Children who develop rickets due to vitamin D deficiency may also develop scoliosis.

5. It is caused by some incorrect posture and is often found in school-age children.

Treatment of infantile scoliosis

Depending on the condition of the spinal deformity, we choose to undergo hemivertebrae resection, in situ fusion, anterior and posterior vertebral fusion, instrumented internal fixation, thoracoplasty, and corrective surgery such as subcutaneous growth rods.