Spine Disorders and Injuries

The pediatric spine service is staffed by a team of physicians, nurse practitioners and physical therapists working together to provide comprehensive treatment of pediatric spine disorders. The most common orthopedic spine disorder is scoliosis - a condition that affects up to three percent of children.

Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a condition in which the spine develops a curved shape, typically a “C” or “S” shape. If not corrected, the condition may become worse over time.

Scoliosis is one of three types:

• Congenital scoliosis means that the spine did not form correctly in utero.
• Neuromuscular scoliosis develops along with a neuromuscular disorder such as spina bifida or cerebral palsy.
• Idiopathic scoliosis means that the cause of the condition is undetermined.

Our orthopedists treat all forms of scoliosis and are experts in all types of treatment, including nonsurgical and surgical approaches to care. One of the fastest growing areas of our practice is early onset scoliosis. We offer the full spectrum of treatment, including: casting, fusionless techniques (growing rods), osteotomies (surgical procedures that reposition part of the spine to create proper alignment), and thoracoscopic spine surgery (a minimally invasive procedure that uses a thoracoscope to correct spine deformities).