Scoliosis of the spine - a curvature of the central part of the spine, consisting of twelve vertebrae. This is one of the most common types of scoliosis; bending with the abuse usually does not exceed 20 degrees, and even cause some discomfort, but rarely causes serious consequences to health.
Causes
Approximately 80% of the reasons for the development of any type of scoliosis remains unknown - in this case speak of idiopathic scoliosis. In other cases, the thoracic scoliosis
Scoliosis - when the spine is curved
(and other types of scoliosis) may have the following causes:
- Cerebral palsy - disorder caused by damage to the brain tissue, which manifests itself at birth or soon after the child's birth;
- Muscular dystrophy - a genetic disorder that causes muscle weakness;
- Marfan syndrome - a hereditary disorder of connective tissue;
- Rett syndrome - a rare neuropsychiatric disorder is genetic.
In very rare cases, congenital scoliosis is - this is due to the abnormal development of the fetal spine. In adults, scoliosis of the spine can be caused by gradual damage to parts of the spine - a violation known as degenerative scoliosis. Scoliosis can also be caused by a weakening of the bone due to osteoporosis
Osteoporosis - he threatens you?
Or spinal cord injuries resulting from surgery.
Symptoms of scoliosis of the thoracic spine
Symptoms of scoliosis depend on its degree. When the curvature of less than ten degrees (scoliosis of the first degree) symptoms of thoracic scoliosis may be completely absent. Moreover, such distortion is not always noticeable to others, not only, but also for the patient himself. In some instances, thoracic scoliosis first power occasionally cause back pain, feeling of stiffness in the back after prolonged sitting or loads, but such features are usually people not associated with any abnormalities. Thoracic scoliosis of 2 degrees
Scoliosis 2 degrees - correction of spinal deformity
(bending up to 25 degrees) and subsequent degrees can cause the following symptoms:
- One Shoulder significantly higher than the other;
- Blade sticks out on one side of the back - this may be especially true when the person bends;
- One hip higher than the other;
- Pain in the back, if a person has to sit or stand for a long time (although this is not necessarily a sign of scoliosis).
Treatment of scoliosis of the thoracic spine
Typically, if the curvature of the spine at least twenty degrees, treatment is reduced to regular inspections during which the physician looks develop scoliosis patient or not. Often, scoliosis, developed in childhood or adolescence, adult men do not progress, and does not cause particular problems. Special exercises in the thoracic scoliosis can be assigned to strengthen the muscles of the back, to minimize the risk of further progression of scoliosis. For most patients these measures are enough and do not need any wearing corsets, nor, especially, surgery. Generally, treatment is given if the curvature of the spine exceeds twenty degrees, or if during the observation time is increased by more than ten degrees.
If treatment is necessary, the doctor must choose between the use of braces and surgery. Corsets are usually recommended for children who have curvature of the spine is 25-40 degrees, and have yet to grow for a long time. Surgical treatment of thoracic scoliosis require patients who have spine is curved more than 50 degrees, and those who did not help corsets.
Wearing a corset is necessary in order to prevent further curvature of the spine. Adult patients wearing corsets are usually not recommended because it does not give the same therapeutic effect as wearing corsets in childhood and adolescence. Sometimes, however, adults are wearing them to ease back pain caused by scoliosis thoracic spine dressed.
Results of conservative treatment of scoliosis is very different and depends on factors such as the degree of scoliosis, a period of wearing a corset and corset type
. Corset aligns the spine and distributes the load on the back
. Unfortunately, there is still no data on what proportion of patients who wore corsets in the end still need surgery
. Previously, even put forward the assumption that the corset is practically no significant influence on the development of thoracic scoliosis, and if the patient, for whatever reasons, there is a predisposition to severe curvature of the spine, to save him from this can only surgery
. However, in recent years, corsets have been significantly improved, and research suggests that they are effective in preventing the aggravation of scoliosis
. To achieve maximum effect, the patient must wear a corset almost continuously until bone growth is not fully completed
. Experts say that children and, most often, teenagers refuse to wear corsets day because it causes physical and psychological disadvantage
. Of course, this has a negative effect on treatment outcomes
. Family support plays an important role in the treatment of scoliosis - should close strongly, but without excessive pressure to explain to your child why it is so important to regularly wear a corset, and how progressive scoliosis can affect their health and quality of life in general
.
Surgery may be necessary in the following cases:
- Patients with idiopathic scoliosis
Idiopathic scoliosis: the main thing - in time to see a specialist
thoracic spine, which resulted in the growth of the skeleton, and curvature of the spine is more than 45 degrees, as well as children whose spine bent more than 40 degrees;
- Patients with scoliosis associated with cerebral palsy and some other diseases - if the curvature of the spine more than forty degrees, and the patient's age less than 15 years. However, since the operations in these patients associated with increased risk of complications, the necessity of surgery are considered separately in each case;
- Adult patients - with severe scoliosis, which adversely affect the quality of life and / or internal organs.
Before the surgery, the patient carefully examined, and the child psychologist can work to reduce the anxiety that in such situations, experiences, most young patients. Many people before surgery recommended to donate blood, which in the future they may need for transfusion. It is important that at the beginning of the operation, the patients had sunburn, rash or skin lesions on the back - all this increases the risk of infectious diseases.
In most cases, surgery to treat scoliosis of the spine is a fusion of several vertebrae. The curved portion of the spine is straightened by means of thin (less than matches), rods made of metal. The spine is not always possible to make a completely flat, but the angle of curvature can be significantly reduced.
The operation is performed under general anesthesia and can last a few hours - its exact duration depends mainly on the degree of curvature of the spine.
The likelihood of those or other complications as a result of the operation is about 15% in children and 25% - in adults. Possible complications include:
- Heavy bleeding;
- Infectious diseases;
- Damage to the nerves;
- Pseudarthrosis;
- Pain in the lower back;
- Problems with lung function.
