The word idiopathic means having no known cause. In most cases, the cause of adolescent scoliosis is unknown. That’s why this diagnosis is most often called adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

About 30% of patients with AIS show some family history of scoliosis. The cause may include a mix of genetic and environmental factors.

Symptoms of scoliosis are different from person to person. Symptoms can include a difference in any of the following:

• Shoulder height
• Head position (the head is not centered with the rest of the body)
• Hip height or position
• Shoulder blade height or position
• The way the arms hang beside the body when standing straight
• The way the sides of the back look when bending forward

You or your child may also notice that their clothes aren’t hanging straight. Most teens with scoliosis do not have pain because of it.

Most of the time, adolescent scoliosis is found during a routine physical exam.

When you come to the Crawford Spine Center at Cincinnati Children’s, our specialists first conduct a comprehensive evaluation, which includes reviewing your child's medical history and performing a physical exam.

You can expect our team of experts to:

• Perform needed tests to see if the bones have any problems
• Measure the degree of your child’s spinal curve
• Order X-rays to figure out the exact angles and degree of the curve

The Crawford Spine Center offers a complete spectrum of treatment for adolescent scoliosis. Treatment depends on the degree of the curve and how much longer your child will continue to grow.

Regardless of the technique used, our goal is to prevent further progression of scoliosis and to correct the spine as much as safely possible.

Treatment may include:

• Non-Operative Treatments
  • Monitoring
  • Bracing
• Scoliosis Surgery
  • Spinal fusion
  • Spinal fusion revisions
  • Non-fusion surgery: Vertebral body tethering (VBT)

Read more about our unique approach and treatment options for AIS. 

The long-term outcome depends on the degree of your child’s curve.

Those with small to moderate curves tend to do well with treatment. Those with moderate curves in their lower back may have a slight increase in back pain. For patients with larger curves, long-term outcomes following surgery are excellent.