Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis for Pediatric Providers

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis occurs in 2% to 3% of the adolescent population, af-fecting people between ages 10 and 16 years. Scoliosis onset is usually earlier in girls than in boys—generally occurring between ages 10 and 14 years for girls and 12 and 16 years for boys. The cause of idiopathic scoliosis is unknown. It is probably multifactorial. Much of the research on the etiology has focused on connective tissue abnormalities, nutritional deficiency, and genetic factors.