What is Adult Scoliosis?

Adult scoliosis is an abnormal curve of the spine in a patient who is skeletally mature (finished growing). The spine can curve to the right or to the left. Scoliosis is a “three-dimensional” curve, meaning that the spine can twist in addition to curving side-to-side. As the vertebrae (the bones that make up the spine) rotate, they may reduce lung function and accelerate degenerative changes in the spine.

Sometimes, adult scoliosis is the result of a childhood curve that was not treated and grew worse. In other cases, though, scoliosis develops in an adult with no history of a childhood curve. That kind of adult scoliosis is called adult degenerative (or de novo) scoliosis. Osteoporosis, disc degeneration, a spinal compression fracture, or a combination of these problems can contribute to the development of adult scoliosis.