SPINAL CURVATURE

any of a group of spinal deviations, including scoliosis, lordosis, and kyphosis. Scoliosis is a lateral, or sideways, deviation of the spine usually including two curvesthe original abnormal curve and a later developing compensatory curve. Possible causes of scoliosis include asymmetrical development of back, chest, or abdominal musculature, as may occur in poliomyelitis or cerebral palsy; significant difference in the lengths of the legs; or malformation or disease of the spinal column and associated structures, as in spondylitis, spina bifida, fracture, dislocation, hemivertebrae, or rickets. Treatment, which depends on the cause, usually includes orthopedic surgery, the use of traction, plaster casts, and exercises. Lordosis is an increased curvature in the lumbar (middle-to-lower) region of the vertebral column, and it may be associated with diseases of the hip joint, cirrhosis of the liver, or obesity. Kyphosis is an increased curvature of the thoracic (upper) vertebral column, and it may be caused by rickets or tuberculous spondylitis (Pott's disease).