Rady Children’s Scoliosis Center is nationally recognized for its patient care, education and research in scoliosis, kyphosis, spondylolisthesis and other spine conditions. Patients are treated for the following types of scoliosis:

• Congenital scoliosis - the condition is present from birth and is the result of abnormal development of the bones in the spine.
   
• Neuromuscular scoliosis - weak muscles in the back don’t provide enough support to maintain an erect spinal position. This is seen in conditions such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida and muscular dystrophy.
   
• Idiopathic scoliosis - the most common form of scoliosis, it has no known causes but is usually diagnosed in adolescents between ages 10 and 13.

Early Intervention For Idiopathic Scoliosis is crucial. The adolescent form of idiopathic scoliosis progresses most rapidly during a child’s fast growth spurt during early puberty. Primary care physicians should screen adolescent patients for abnormal curvature of the spine as part of an annual exam.

“If the forward bend test or a positive school screening exam suggest your patient has scoliosis, we prefer to examine the child and obtain the proper diagnostic x-rays,” said Dr. Peter Newton, director of Rady Children’s Scoliosis Center and Orthopedic Research. “With early direction, non-operative treatment options exist, such as monitoring and bracing. If surgery is required, the correction is safer and more complete if scoliosis is caught early.”

The Scoliosis Center has developed new instrumentation and surgical techniques for a less invasive procedure to correct some curve patterns. The thoracoscopic anterior spinal instrumentation uses five small incisions along the side of the patient and video technology to view the spine. Specialized instruments are used to perform disc removal and insert screws and a rod along the spine to correct the curve. The procedure has proven to be as effective as more invasive traditional methods, where two rods and multiple hooks are inserted through a large incision on the back.

“We designed the implant system just for this surgery and it has been wonderfully successful,” said Dr. Newton. “Our patients treated with the endoscopic method recover more quickly, have less pain and more mobility after surgery. Spine surgeons from throughout the world come here several times a year to learn this new minimally invasive approach.”

For patients who need fusion by the more traditional method, there are also new sophisticated posterior implant systems that achieve better spine correction. The new methods average a 60 to 70 percent correction for patients with all causes of scoliosis. For more information or to refer a patient call the Scoliosis Center at (858) 966-6789.

 More information about Scoliosis
 More information about Spondylolysis & Spondylolisthesis

 

Children's Specialists Division of Orthopedics/Scoliosis

© Children's Specialists of San Diego