What Causes Scoliosis?

Congenital Disabilities

Congenital disabilities, or conditions an individual is born with, can also result in scoliosis. Approximately one in ten thousand babies are born with scoliosis, which makes it much less common than the type that arises during puberty. Doctors believe it happens because one or more vertebrae, or parts of vertebrae, don’t form properly when the baby is still in the womb. This abnormality results in an angle called a hemivertebra. Sometimes the spine in the fetus doesn’t separate into individual vertebrae and what would have been two distinct vertebrae are joined together by a bar of bone. Sometimes, these bars join with the hemivertebra. This condition requires surgery to correct. The body can also compensate for scoliosis by creating curves in other parts of the spine that cancel out the curvature of scoliosis.

Poliomyelitis

Poliomyelitis, most commonly known as polio, is a very infectious viral illness that most commonly affects young children. It's transmitted through a spread from person to person and multiplies in an individual's intestine. After it's invaded the intestine, the virus can enter the nervous system and lead to paralysis. Polio's initial symptoms are neck stiffness, pain in the limbs, vomiting, headache, fatigue, and fever. When the disease causes paralysis, said paralysis is typically permanent. The disease doesn't have a cure, but it can be prevented through vaccination. Post-polio syndrome can lead to scoliosis. This condition can only be experienced by individuals who have survived a polio infection.