title: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.
abstract: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most common form of structural spinal deformities that have a radiological lateral Cobb angle - a measure of spinal curvature - of ≥10(°). AIS affects between 1% and 4% of adolescents in the early stages of puberty and is more common in young women than in young men. The condition occurs in otherwise healthy individuals and currently has no recognizable cause. In the past few decades, considerable progress has been made towards understanding the clinical patterns and the three-dimensional pathoanatomy of AIS. Advances in biomechanics and technology and their clinical application, supported by limited evidence-based research, have led to improvements in the safety and outcomes of surgical and non-surgical treatments. However, the definite aetiology and aetiopathogenetic mechanisms that underlie AIS are still unclear. Thus, at present, both the prevention of AIS and the treatment of its direct underlying cause are not possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.|Joint Scoliosis Research Centre of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Nanjing University, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Jack C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: René M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Castelein
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Winnie C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.|Department of Orthopedics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Aina J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Danielsson
authors.affiliation: Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery Neurology and Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Dobbs
authors.affiliation: Trauma and Orthopaedic Department, Tzaneio General Hospital of Piraeus, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Theodoros B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Grivas
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Christina A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Gurnett
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Keith D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Luk
authors.affiliation: Viscogliosi Laboratory in Molecular Genetics of Musculoskeletal Diseases, Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Quebéc, Canada.|Department of Stomatology, Faculty of Dentistry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebéc, Canada.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebéc, Canada.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreau
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of California, San Diego, California, USA.|Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, California, USA.
authors.forename: Peter O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA.
authors.forename: Ian A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Stokes
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: Stuart L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Weinstein
authors.affiliation: Centre for Spinal Studies and Surgery, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust - Queen's Medical Centre Campus, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: R Geoffrey
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Burwell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty; D011859:Radiography; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery