Spinal Fusion Baltimore MD for Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a condition that has been around since medical records have been written down.  It literally just means a curvature of the spine.  It is easy to notice that most people have a spine that runs, more or less, straight up and down.  When a person has scoliosis, it may be possible to notice just by looking at them that their spine curves to one side, or, the appearance may be more subtle.  Maybe the patient just seems to have hips that are kind of uneven in height.

The medical diagnosis of scoliosis is made when there is a ten degree variation from vertical toward either side of the body.  Sometimes, doctors also use the letters "c" and "s" to describe the formation of a spine with scoliosis.  In most cases, scoliosis is idiopathic, meaning that there is no clear reason why one individual has it and another does not.  When there is a clear cause, scoliosis is divided into two different types:

• Nonstructural scoliosis indicates that the spine works normally, but appears curved.  It occurs secondary to some other diagnoses, which may include an inflammation such as appendicitis, muscle spasms, or another irregularity in the body such as one leg being longer than the other.  Cases of nonstructural scoliosis are usually corrected by treating the underlying cause.
• Structural scoliosis means that the abnormal curvature of the spine is rigid and cannot be addressed by treating any other cause.  Diagnoses that can underlie structural scoliosis include genetic syndromes, tumors, infections, birth defects, muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy.

Spinal Fusion Surgery Baltimore

Treatment for idiopathic or structural scoliosis may include spinal fusion Baltimore MD.  While there is a basic procedure for spinal fusion surgery Baltimore, there are a few variations on the procedure, depending upon the direction and the degree of the spine's curvature.  While it is a condition that is generally present from birth, it is sometimes not diagnosed until a child is between ten and fifteen years of age.  It can be revealed during the growth spurts that are common during these developmental years.  The greater the degree of curvature, the more likely it is to increase and cause problems over time.