Clinical Features of Degenerative Scoliosis / 대한척추외과학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To describe and analyze the clinical features of degenerative scoliosis so that we could guess the pathogenesis of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight adults with degenerative scoliosis were reviewed. We evaluated the symptoms and physi-cal findings. Simple radiographs of the lumbar spine and MRI films were investigated. RESULTS: All patients had low-back pain, and eleven of them had severe low-back pain. Forty-six patients(96%) had lower extremity symptoms, and 80% of them had severe symptoms. The mean curve was 18 dgrees (range, 11o-44 dgrees). The mean lordosis was 2 7 dgrees (range, -16 dgrees -+ 45 dgrees). The frequency of significant degenerative change was highest in the low- lumbar region. Stenosis detected on MRI was present in the low-lumbar area in most cases and a limited number of cases revealed stenosis on the mid-lumbar area. The most frequent incidence of stenosis was at L4-5. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION: The frequency of degenerative change was highest in the low-lumbar region and significant cases revealed degenerative change only in low-lumbar area. This may imply that degeneration and instability of low-lumbar area can cause secondary biomechanical compensation at above levels, resulting in scoliosis and degenerative change.