Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Part 1: Definition & Diagnosis

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This course will provide entry level information about Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS). The course will define AIS, provide a basic understanding of the scientific theory of the etiology and pathomechanism of AIS, explain the differential diagnosis of AIS, and provide tools for predicting progression of deformity in order to prioritize care.

Meet your instructor

Cindy Marti

Cindy Marti began her career at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton in 1986. In 1989 she joined Milwaukee-based Competitive Edge Sports Medicine and became part of the management team in 1991. In 1994, after Competitive Edge became part of NovaCare, Cindy became General Manager of the Wisconsin region. In 1996, Cindy stepped…

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Chapters & learning objectives

1. Definition and Description of AIS

This chapter will explain the definition of scoliosis as a 3 dimensional torsional deformity, discuss the structural and postural components of the scoliosis, and describe the clinical and radiological criteria for the diagnosis of scoliosis including the Adam’s forward bending test and the measurement of Cobb angle. The learner will be introduced to the concept of scoliosis curve patterns for AIS and other types of scoliosis.

2. Scientific Theory

This chapter will explain the scientific theory of AIS. Although the cause of AIS remains unknown, it is believed that there are multifactorial contributing factors related to scoliosis, the chapter will explore these factors and discuss recent research related to bone health and the scoliosis deformity.

3. Progression of Scoliosis

This chapter will describe the progression of scoliosis. There will be discussion of the “vicious cycle theory” of curve progression, and description of additional multiple biomechanical variables related to progression of curves. The chapter will describe patient risk factors for curve progression related to age, skeletal maturity, and curve severity. The learner will learn how to best predict progression of AIS in order to begin to understand how risk of progression relates to treatment planning. A landmark research article related to bracing and curve progression will also be discussed.

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