Types of Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a clinical sign, not a specific diagnosis. There are several different diagnoses that can result in scoliatic curvatures, some of the more common are:

Idiopathic Scoliosis - Idiopathic scoliosis is thought to be genetic. It's a result of expression of multiple genes but it has something called variable penetrance, meaning in each generation there is a variability in how strongly the genes are expressed - how severe the curve is.

        Infantile Idiopathic (from birth to 3 years of age)
        Juvenile Idiopathic (from 3 to ten years of age)
        Adolescent Idiopathic (from 10 to 18 years of age)

Congenital Scoliosis - caused by spinal bones that did not properly form during fetal development

Neuromuscular Scoliosis - caused by abnormalities in neuromuscular function
        Neuropathic - caused by abnormal nerve function from diseases
               such as cerebral palsy
        Myopathic - caused by abnormal muscle function from diseases
               such as muscular dystrophy

Adult Scoliosis
        Pure Degenerative - patients who had straight spines earlier in life but
               develop curvatures related to wear and tear of the spine.
        Old Idiopathic Curves with Degeneration - patients who had curves
               in childhood and develop increased curvature later in life
               because of additional age-related changes
        Secondary - curves caused by other conditions such as tumors
               and fractures

The most common diagnosis in children is adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, representing nearly 90 percent of cases. In adults, the two most common diagnoses are adult idiopathic and adult degenerative curves.