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Scoliosis (Visit Resource)
Pediatrics: Scoliosis Definition Scoliosis means abnormal curvature of the spine. The curvature takes place in three dimensions. The normal spine is straight in the anterior-posterior direction, or when one looks at a person from front-back. The normal spine is curved in the lateral direction, or when one looks at a person from the side. There is a gentle kyphosis, or bending forward, of the thoracic spine, or the spine in the chest. There is a bending backward, or lordosis, of the lumbar spine, or the spine that is between the chest and the pelvis. In scoliosis, the normally straight spine in the front-back direction becomes S-shaped, and the normally curved spine in the side direction typically straightens out (Figure 1). In addition, the spine twists on its axis, pushing the ribs and flanks backward and forward to produce a prominence, or "hump" (Figure 2).
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Added: Wed Nov 29 2006
