(ii) Scoliosis in children and teenagers

Scoliosis is a three-dimensional deformity of the spine whose cardinal feature is a curve in the coronal plane with a Cobb angle that exceeds 10°. In the growing spine and the degenerative spine scoliosis will evolve over time; the fourth dimension. This article discusses the possible causes of scoliosis in the paediatric population. The aim is to provide the reader with a basic understanding of spinal growth, the natural history of scoliotic spinal deformity and outline the options for treatment.