NR 602 wk2 Grand Round Presentation

Introduction: The following will be a presentation about Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis. The patient is a 12 y/o patient who comes in for an annual physical exam. The patient and patient’s mother denied any medical concerns and the only report is that she had her first period 5 months prior. The physical exam reveals no abnormal findings with the exception of a slight noted asymmetry of the shoulders. This may indicate that there is an abnormal posturing, or something is affecting the spine. In any event further investigation is needed. In order to determine what may be causing the asymmetry of the patients shoulder a more in depth physical examination is conducted. The patient is asked to remove her shoes and stand as she normally does; the patient is asked to take a few steps forward and her back and gait are observed. There is no abnormal gait, but her spine does appear to be minimally misaligned. These findings are strong indication that her spine is curving in an abnormal fashion. Scoliosis pathophysiology, epidemiology, and risks factors: The question is now, what is causing this change in her spine and what should we do about it. There are several factors that may be causing this but for now we will concentrate on three possibilities. First, she may be developing Scoliosis