Index of Scoliosis Information

Idiopathic Scoliosis

This is by far the most prevalent form of scoliosis and occurs to some degree in approximately one half million adolescents in the US. There is no known cause of idiopathic scoliosis (“idiopathic” refers to a disease or condition or unknown origin) although it does tend to occur in families.  

Idiopathic scoliosis is usually categorized into three age groups:

• From birth to 3 years old - called infantile scoliosis.
• From 3 to 9 years old - called juvenile scoliosis.
• From 10 to 18 years old – called adolescent scoliosis.

The risk of curvature progression is increased during puberty, when the growth rate of the body is the fastest.  Scoliosis with significant curvature of the spine is much more prevalent in girls than in boys, and girls are eight times more likely to need treatment for scoliosis, because they tend to have curves that are much more likely to progress. Still, the majority of all cases of scoliosis do not require treatment.