MILLKS
>>> DID YOU KNOW THAT
SCOLIOSIS IS THE MOST COMMON
DEFORMITY OF THE SPINE, AND
IT OFTEN APPEARS IN CHILDREN
JUST BEFORE THE GROWTH SPURT
BEFORE PUBERTY.
WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO
DR. MATTHEW NEAL FROM THE
MAYOR CLINI
OLLI
MAYOR CLINIC.
THANKS FOR COMING.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> WHAT IS SCOLIOSIS?
>> IT'S A SPINAL DEFORMITY,
AND SPECIFICALLY SCOLIOSIS
IS A CORONAL DEFORMITY.
THAT MEANS WHEN YOU'RE
LOOKING AT SOMEBODY FROM THE
FRONT OR THE BACK, WE EXPECT
THE SPINE TO BE STRAIGHT.
IF THERE'S CURVATURE,
TYPICALLY IN EXCESS OF 10
DEGREES, THAT IS CONSIDERED
SCOLIOSIS.
>> HOW DOES THAT AFFECT
SOMEBODY WHO FINDS OUT --
AFFECT SOMEBODY WHO HAS
THAT?
>> YES, WELL, WE SEE PEOPLE
ON A SPECTRUM WITH
SCOLIOSIS.
MANY PEOPLE HAVE A VERY MILD
CURVE, AND IN THESE CASES WE
TYPICALLY MONITOR THOSE
PATIENTS, OFTENTIMES THEY
HAVE NO ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS.
HOWEVER, IT IS IMPORTANT TO
BE MONITORED BECAUSE SOME OF
THESE CURVES CAN PROGRESS,
AND ONCE THEY DO PROGRESS TO
A CERTAIN THRESHOLD, IN SOME
CASES SURGERY IS
RECOMMENDED.
>> YOU SAID THERE IS A
SPECTRUM, IF, AS YOU SAID,
SOMETIMES THERE ARE NO
SYMPTOMS.
>> RIGHT.
WELL, MANY PEOPLE ARE
WALKING AROUND AND DON'T
REALIZE THEY HAVE SCOLIOSIS,
IF THE CURVATURE IS VERY
MILD.
WHEN THE CURVE BECOMES MORE
SIGNIFICANT, PEOPLE MAY
NOTICE SOME CURVATURE IN THE
BACK, THEY MAY NOTICE THAT
THEIR HEAD IS NOT SITTING
DIRECTLY ABOVE THE PELVIS,
THEY MAY NOTICE SOME
ASYMMETRY WITH THE SHOULDERS
OR PELVIS, AND THOSE ARE
GOOD INDICATORS THERE MAY BE
A SPINAL DEFORMITY OR
SCOLIOSIS.
>> THAT'S INFORMATION WE CAN
USE.
IF WE END UP BEING
DIAGNOSED, WHAT ARE SOME OF
THE TREATMENTS THAT YOUUSE?
>> YES, WELL, WE LOOK AT
SCOLIOSIS IN TWO DIFFERENT
POPULATIONS.
ONE IS CHILDREN AND ADULTS,
WHERE THE SPINE IS STILL
GROWING.
THESE PATIENTS ARE NOT
SKELETALLY MATURE.
THE OTHER POPULATION IS
ADULTS WHERE THE SPINE HAS
COMPLETED GROWING.
IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS,
WE START WITH MONITORING THE
CURVE AND PERIODICALLY
REPEATING EXAMINATIONS AND
X-RAYS, AND MANY TIMES WE
SIMPLY MONITOR THE CURVE.
IF THE CURVE FALLS IN A MORE
MODERATE RANGE, SOMETIMES WE
WILL RECOMMEND WEARING AN
EXTERNAL BRACE, AND OVER A
CRITICAL THRESHOLD, WE START
TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT
POTENTIALLY PERFORMING
SURGERY TO STRAIGHTEN OUT
THE CURVE.
IN ADULTS, SIMILARLY, WE
CONSIDER SURGERY AFTER THE
CURVATURE REACHES A CERTAIN
THRESHOLD, AND OFTENTIMES
THERE ARE OTHER SYMPTOMS IN
ADULTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
SCOLIOSIS SUCH AS PINCHING
OF NERVES THAT WE HAVE TO
ADDRESS AS WELL.
>> WELL, THERE IS SO MUCH TO
KNOW, AND WE'VE DONE A LOT
OF EDUCATION HERE TODAY.
IS THERE SOMEWHERE ONLINE WE
CAN GO TO GET MORE
INFORMATION?
>> YES, THE MAYO CLINIC
WEBSITE HAS GOOD INFORMATION
ABOUT SCOLIOSIS.
OFTENTIMES I DIRECT PATIENTS
TO THE SCOLIOSIS RESEARCH
FOUNDATION WEB PAGE AS WELL
AS THE NATIONAL FOUNDATION
WEB PAGE.
>> THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH