Medical Health Encyclopedia

Curvatures may be less likely to progress in girls whose scoliosis was low in the back and whose spine was out of balance by more than an inch. Height also comes into play. For example, a shorter-than-average girl of 14 with low-back scoliosis of 25 to 35 degrees but whose spine is imbalanced by over an inch would have almost no risk. The same degree of curvature in the chest region of a tall 10-year old girl whose spine was in balance, however, would almost certainly progress.

In Adult-Onset Scoliosis:

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In rare cases, unrecognized or untreated scoliosis in youth may progress, with the following curvatures posing low to high risk:

• Curvatures under 30 degrees almost never progress.
• Predicting progression at curves around 40 degrees is not clear.
• Curvatures over 50 degrees are at great risk for progression.