Infantile / Juvenile Skoliose

Scolioses before the age of 10 are fortunately rare and even often heal spontaneously. Nevertheless, experts should take over the care of very young patients at an early stage. In exceptional cases, severe scolioses in very young patients can also lead to maldevelopment of the lungs. Therapy differs markedly from the treatment of adolescent scolioses (after the age of 10). Scolioses may have to be treated by consistently wearing a corset or a trunk cast. If the scoliosis continues to worsen, surgery may be necessary. In addition to controlling the scoliosis, the goal of surgery in young children should always be to preserve spinal growth. Special implants are used for this purpose at the Orthopedic University Hospital.

Another specialization of the clinic is the use of so-called growth-guiding spinal braces or, as a further development, so-called spinal tethering. This method can be considered as an alternative to permanent corset therapy in selected patients.

Left: 3-year-old boy with infantile scoliosis. Right: same boy 2 years after implantation of a non-stiffening implant. The spine can thus ideally be controlled and slowly partially corrected until the completion of spinal growth.

8-year-old girl with a 40° scoliosis. As an alternative to several years of corset therapy, this patient was treated with spinal braces. Already 1 year postoperatively there was an almost complete correction of scoliosis without the need for fusion.

Adolescent scoliosis

Adolescent scoliosis is the most common form of idiopathic scoliosis. It occurs in various degrees of severity. Mild scoliosis is considered a normal variant and should only be checked regularly for worsening. Moderate scoliosis (approx. 20° to 50°) in very young patients before completion of spinal growth may require many years of corset therapy (alternatively spinal bracing). In severe cases, surgery is recommended to counteract further, lifelong deterioration. All types of scoliosis are treated at the Orthopedic Clinic. A detailed explanation of all therapy methods is given and finally, together with the family, the decision on the further form of treatment is made.

X-ray before and after corrective surgery for a 90° scoliosis