Perry 1

Monica Perry
Pamela Reed
Freshman Composition 1
8 November 2015
Detecting Scoliosis at a Young Age Could Be Critical For Some Parents
Most parents know that scoliosis is a musculoskeletal deformity, a curvature of the spine
that often affects adolescents. Nevertheless, they may not understand how prevalent the
condition is. In fact, scoliosis affects millions of people worldwide. Approximately two percent
of the worlds total population has this condition. Of the two percent that have scoliosis, it is
estimated that ninety-five percent of these patients will not require significant medical treatment.
However, the remaining five percent diagnosed with scoliosis could or will develop medical
and/or emotional problems that could jeopardize their general health and well-being. It is
therefore critical to detect the condition for these afflicted persons and develop the correct
treatment plan to combat this problem. Two examples of afflicted people will follow, including
my own personal story, to help illustrate a proactive approach to detection and treatment versus a
delayed reaction to the situation and the problems that it could eventually cause.
Little did I know how my life would change in the fall of 2008. I was only 11 years old, and
was just beginning my 6th grade year. My teacher instructed all the girls to come to the front of
the class. She then led us down the hall to the nurses office. We all lined up and waited for the
nurse to see us one-by-one. We all talked and laughed while waiting in line. Ultimately, I was
soon to find out that this one event would begin a taxing 7 year journey for me. This journey was
to be my battle against scoliosis.

Perry 2

There are many ways to check and see if a young person has scoliosis. In in my particular case,
the condition was detected during a middle school health check. This is very typical of how
scoliosis is often detected. This screening is performed by the school staff. The school staff
member will ask the child to stand with his or her feet together and bend forward. The staff
member then looks at the students back while his or her arms are hanging forward. If the right or
the left side of the childs rib cage appears higher on one side or the other, the students parents
will be notified. The parents, in turn, should make an appointment with a family physician to
evaluate the concern.
After my middle school screening, I went for my first appointment with my general doctor
and the diagnosis of scoliosis was confirmed by an x-ray and a repeat bend-over test. During
my exam, my doctor measured the curve of my spine with a special ruler. This measurement
is a routine test that helps the physician monitor the progression of the curve. As with all
patients, these measurements are important to compare at each visit. According to the
University of Maryland Medical Spine Center, If any tests have been taken of the childs
spine in the past, the doctor will look for progression of a sideways curve. This can be
measured from serial radiography (series of x-rays). Measurement of rib humps or changes in
height. My first x-ray was completed in 2008. In this x-ray, please note that the upper curve
measures 27 degrees and the lower curve measures 33 degrees. My family doctor
immediately referred me to an orthopedic spinal surgeon. It is very important to keep this
appointment with this specialist. This spine specialist will then follow the progress of the
curve over a course of time and watch for complications that could occur. According to the
author of the Mayo Clinic source, there are many complications that can arise from scoliosis.

Perry 3

While most people with scoliosis have a mild form of the disorder, scoliosis may sometimes
cause complications, including:
Lung and heart damage. In severe scoliosis, the rib cage may press against the lungs and
heart, making it more difficult to breathe and harder for the heart to pump.
Back problems. Adults who had scoliosis as children are more likely to have chronic back
pain than are people in the general population.
Appearance. As scoliosis worsens, it can cause more noticeable changes including
unlevel shoulders, prominent ribs, uneven hips, and a shift of the waist and trunk to the side.
Individuals with scoliosis often become self-conscious about their appearance.
The spinal physician may place the patient in a brace to slow the curve. As in my case, I wore
a brace for 4 years but unfortunately, the curve continued to worsen. In the most recent x-ray,
please note that my curves did increase. The upper curve progressed from 27 degrees to 49.5
degrees. The lower curve progressed from 33 degrees to 51.8 degrees. At this time, my spinal
physician began to inform my parents and I about surgical correction. The doctor explained
that surgical correction at an earlier age is better due to less complications during and after
surgery. I eventually had the corrective surgery on June 9th 2015.
In contrast to my situation, lets examine the story of Marianne, a 45 year old female
from London, England. On her web site titled www.well-women.com, she explains her
regrets of not treating her scoliosis at an earlier age. She states: I myself have had a long
relationship with Scoliosis and have also had 4 pregnancies. My curvature has progressed
from 35 degrees immediately after coming out of the brace at 17, to 76 degrees today. I did
not have surgery by my own choice. This is a decision that I now very much regret. The
reason I regret it is because had I had the surgery during my teenage years, they would have

Perry 4

got a near perfect correction. Now all I can hope for is a 50% correction, which to me is
better than nothing, and back to where I started.
Dr. Peter F. Ullrich, Jr. lists potential risks and complications of Scoliosis correction earlier vs.
later in life on the web site www.spine-health.com. He states: Adult degenerative scoliosis surgery
is more difficult than adolescent scoliosis surgery for several reasons including.

Patients are older and tend to have other medical issues, which leads to an increased chance of a
peri-operative medical complication

Often, because the patients are older, osteoporosis is also present. This makes gaining purchase
(fusion) in the bone with spinal instrumentation systems a difficult process

Fusing the lumbar spine at multiple levels often requires a surgical approach from both the front and
back to get a solid fusion, which makes it a more extensive surgery.

The fusion may need to be carried down to the sacrum, and getting a solid fusion to heal in this area
can be difficult.

In conclusion, it is critical to detect scoliosis early and then follow up with the correct treatment
plan. As in Mariannes example above, even though her scoliosis was detected early, she chose not
to have surgery. This choice placed her in a position of not having an optimal outcome that could
have been achieved if intervention was done earlier. Other health risks that Marianne may face are
heart and lung damage due to the rib cage pressing against the organs. Also, she may also face
chronic back pain and an altered body appearance that includes uneven shoulders, uneven hips and
prominent ribs. If Marianne decides to have surgery in her adult years, she will face many potential
risks and complications that younger patients may not have to face. For example, she may have
other medical conditions that increase the chance of complications during her surgery. The older

Perry 5

patient may require more extensive surgery and there is a possibility that the fusion will be very
difficult to heal. It is critical to detect scoliosis early for the best possible outcome for your child.

Bibliography
"Adult Scoliosis Surgery." Spine-health. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2015.
"National Scoliosis Foundation." National Scoliosis Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web.
08 Nov. 2015.
"Scoliosis." Complications. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2015.
"Well Women Guide to Scoliosis." Well Women Guide to Scoliosis. N.p., n.d.
Web. 08 Nov.
2015.