Adolescent Scoliosis
10-17 Years of Age
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a scoliosis that affects children or adolescents from the age of 10 into young adulthood. Typically it is noticed around 11 to 12 years of age in girls and a little later in boys.
Like other types of scoliosis AIS is characterized by an abnormal sideways S or C curve of the spine. Children with AIS are generally otherwise healthy. AIS is the most common type of scoliosis with approximately 4% of all children between 10 and 18 years old developing it. AIS is more commonly seen in girls than boys – 90% of scoliosis cases are girls. AIS often begins to develop at the initial onset of puberty becoming more apparent as is worsens during growth spurts.
AIS has a better prognosis than juvenile scoliosis, but can still progress to become a significant spinal deformity if it is not detected early and properly managed. It is not uncommon for adolescents with large curves to develop very quickly some back pain. The most effective non-surgical treatment is bracing, and for smaller curves specialized scoliosis specific exercises may be appropriate.
