Important details in identifying scoliosis

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ömer Bozduman from the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology stated that scoliosis refers to the curvature of the spine when viewed from the front, and that it is defined as scoliosis when it exceeds 10 degrees.

Stating that patients usually present to the hospital with posture disorders, Bozduman said, "As a result of the measurements of the radiographs taken, a diagnosis of scoliosis is made at certain degrees.

It is seen more frequently in girls, can be congenital, and can also occur in later ages due to conditions such as fractures, infections, tumors, and calcification. Exercise, physical therapy, and braces are used in its treatment. In advanced ages, it can be treated surgically," he said.

"BONE FRACTURES CAN OCCUR IN ADVANCED AGES"

Stating that the most common type is the scoliosis group whose cause cannot be fully clarified, Bozduman said, "These are seen in children of puberty age and are the part that can be prevented with surgery. Mothers and fathers must pay attention to whether their children's shoulder and hip balance, and the distance between their waist and arms, are symmetrical during puberty.

We have the chance to treat and monitor many children we catch at this stage without the need for future surgery. In slightly older groups, curvature of the spine can occur due to infections, tumors, rheumatological, or syndromic diseases.

Sometimes it can progress significantly and cause complications. We operate on those above a certain degree. The goal is to provide the patient with a longer and higher-quality life and to prevent the degree from progressing. Sometimes, in very advanced ages, osteoporosis and bone fractures can lead to spinal curvature. These can be accompanied by spinal stenosis and nerve compression. We can first eliminate the spinal stenosis and nerve compression and then correct the curvature of the spine," he said.

"A SITUATION FAMILIES NEED TO KNOW"

Emphasizing that adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is the most common spinal curvature, Bozduman said, "These are frequently seen during puberty, especially in girls. Many of them can be overlooked. The reason for this is that when they are younger, families are in more visual contact with their children, including during baths, so they notice those curvatures immediately.

But in adolescence, children keep to themselves, so it can be overlooked. This is the most common group. We categorize the treatment methods for this group according to their curvature.

We prevent these patients from needing surgery by catching them in time and applying non-surgical treatments such as braces and physical therapy exercises. It is actually a social issue. It is a situation that families need to know about," he said.

"THEY CAN CHECK WHETHER SHOULDER BALANCES ARE EQUAL"

Explaining what families can do at this point, Bozduman said, "When mothers look at their children from the back and front while they are bathing or swimming, they can check whether their shoulder balances are equal. They should pay attention to whether their chest levels are equal, whether their waist curves are symmetrical when viewed from their backs, and whether the distance between their arms and waist curves is equal.

When looking at their backs, it can be observed whether there is a swelling on one side of the rib cage, or whether there is a curvature on one side of the rib area when they bend forward. If there is something that does not seem right, if it is called asymmetrical, they should see an orthopedics and traumatology doctor," he said.

GROWTH-FRIENDLY SURGERY

Stating that they apply growth-friendly surgical procedures if the child is 8 years old and the curvature is at a very advanced level, Bozduman said, "What we do here is try to lengthen the spine at regular intervals, whether with magnetic or other systems, while preserving the lung capacity of the growing child. We continue this lengthening process until we say that this spine will no longer grow. When we reach the non-growing stage, we perform a fusion procedure and fix it in place. We try to keep the patient's movement capacity as high as possible," he said.

Bozduman stated that scoliosis can be seen with a frequency of 3 to 7 per thousand. Stating that generally one out of 10 patients needs surgery, Bozduman said, "We take 3 of them under follow-up and 6 of them under follow-up with physical therapy exercises and braces. Our main goal here is to solve the patients' problems without surgery.

If the degree has progressed to the point where surgery is needed, we evaluate it and recommend the surgery the patient needs, provided that they do not lose their functions. In surgery, we first perform a general evaluation of the patient. We decide whether the patient is suitable for this surgery. If suitable, we perform an open surgery under general anesthesia. We continue close follow-up after the surgery. We discharge our patient within a few days, but we still perform regular check-ups," he said.