Raising Awareness of Scoliosis After Childhood Spinal Cord Injury

During Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month, Shriners Children’s, a nationwide leader in pediatric spinal cord injury rehabilitation, is raising awareness about a common condition to watch for in children who sustain a spinal cord injury (SCI). They often also develop scoliosis, which, in some cases, requires special care.

When she was just an infant, Rae Anne’s family received a difficult diagnosis for their daughter. A second opinion at the Shriners Children’s Chicago location confirmed her neurological issues were caused by transverse myelitis, a type of pediatric spinal cord injury caused by inflammation damaging the cord. She later developed scoliosis, an abnormal curve in the spine, which can have a major impact in a child’s life. Her experience of scoliosis after an SCI is a common occurrence. Researchers at Shriners Children’s found that up to 96% of children who had an SCI before age 5 developed scoliosis.

“Children with SCI before their adolescent growth spurt almost always develop scoliosis, regardless of the level of injury. Younger patients are at higher risk for scoliosis because they have a lot of growth remaining. We typically see curves developing during periods of rapid growth, particularly from ages 10 to 16," said John Ghazi, M.D., pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Shriners Children’s Chicago. “The type of scoliosis that occurs in individuals with spinal cord injury is called neuromuscular scoliosis. As the name implies, it is the result of a disorder of the nervous system or muscle.”

Dr. Ghazi said the treatment approach varies based on the child's individual curve and curve progression. Larger spine curves can make it harder to sit in a wheelchair comfortably. It can cause pain and even affect a child’s lungs. “The reason that scoliosis can lead to respiratory issues is that a thoracic spinal curvature decreases the space available for the lungs in the chest, and the deformity of the chest wall weakens the mechanical forces necessary to ventilate the lungs properly,” he said.