Scoliosis and Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring: Benefits of Using Multimodality IONM During Complex Spine Surgeries - Part 1.

Abstract

Scoliosis is a deformation of the spine. Although the human spine normally has a slight curvature, when this curvature exceeds 10 degrees out of its required measurements, a scoliosis diagnosis starts to become a plausible explanation for it. There are three main causes of scoliosis: idiopathic, neuromuscular, and congenital. The first one is idiopathic scoliosis, and there is no clear explanation for why a disease is happening and/or progressing. It is the most prevalent cause of scoliosis, representing 80 percent of registered cases. The second type is neuromuscular, a type of spinal deformation usually accompanied by other diseases directly affecting the musculature, such as muscular atrophy. The third and last type is congenital scoliosis, caused by embryological defects. This latter variation of scoliosis is encountered at birth; thus, it is diagnosed and detectable in children's early stages of development. Idiopathic and neuromuscular scoliosis develops and is diagnosed at later stages, specifically during adolescence and adulthood.