Posted by This is a representation show a healthy human spine, as compared to a spine with thoracic scoliosis and one with lumbar scoliosis. 
This is a representation show a healthy human spine, as compared to a spine with thoracic scoliosis and one with lumbar scoliosis.
Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine, often accompanied by twisting of the vertebral column. It affects nearly 3% of the population, and is the most common vertebral abnormality in females, being eight times more likely to develop scoliosis than males. Scoliosis is developed in infancy or childhood, but the primary age of onset is between 10-15 years old. Scoliosis can be classified into three etiologies; idiopathic, congenital, and neuromuscular. Idiopathic scoliosis comprises 80% of all causes, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis being the most common type, being diagnosed during puberty. Scoliosis is diagnosed as a curve measuring greater than 10 degrees, with significant curves being between 25 to 30 degrees. Curves exceeding 45 degrees are deemed severe and often require treatment such as surgery. Thoracic scoliosis is when the abnormal curvature is in the thoracic region of the spine and is the most common location for scoliosis curves. With this type, the rib cage becomes asymmetric, and one shoulder may look higher than the other, or one leg may look longer. Lumbar scoliosis is when the abnormal curvature is located lower, in the lumbar region of the spine. This can cause one side of your hip to be higher than the other, or one leg to look longer. Lumbar scoliosis is common in adults older than 65, usually occurring due to degeneration. Both thoracic and lumbar scoliosis appears as a “C” shaped curve. This project visually depicts these two types of scoliosis and compares them to one another, and against a spine without scoliosis.