What is Congenital Scoliosis?

Congenital means “present at birth”. So congenital scoliosis is the result of malformation of part of the spine during pregnancy. Scoliosis can cause the spine to 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. Congenital scoliosis occurs in about one out of every 1,000 births. It often accompanies defects in other parts of the body, such as the genital/urinary systems, the heart, and other parts of the spine. There are two main types of malformations in congenital scoliosis:

• Hemivertebra: Half of a vertebra (the bones that make up the spine) does not grow properly, causing an imbalance that makes the spine grow crooked.
• Unilateral Bar or Block Vertebra: Vertebrae do not segment properly; instead, they fuse together.