Dextroscoliosis is a type of scoliosis where the spine curves to the right. Symptoms include uneven shoulders or ill-fitting clothes. Treatment options vary based on the severity of the curvature, with surgery required for angles greater than 40 degrees.
Dextroscoliosis is a form of scoliosis, a medical condition in which the patient suffers from curvature of the spine. If the spine curves to the right, this is known as dextroscoliosis, as opposed to levoscoliosis, which is a curvature to the left. These curvatures are S-shaped or C-shaped when viewed from the front or back. They differ from the normal curvature of the vertebrae seen from the patient’s side view.
Children in the growing bone stage are most affected by scoliosis. Symptoms can be subtle as the vertebrae are internal and the patient may not feel any pain at all. Patients may notice that one shoulder is lower than the other or that their clothes don’t fit properly. The curvature may be noticed by a family member who is familiar with the symptoms. Scoliosis runs in families, so parents with the condition should monitor children frequently.
There are different types of scoliosis, which vary according to the cause. Functional scoliosis is caused when the patient suffers from another skeletal problem, such as when one leg is shorter than the other leading to curvature of the spine. Scoliosis is treated by correcting the first problem. Neuromuscular scoliosis occurs when the patient has an underlying medical condition, such as muscular dystrophy. Most cases of scoliosis are of unknown origin and are therefore termed idiopathic.
Scoliosis can develop in different age groups. Infantile scoliosis develops in children under the age of three. Juvenile scoliosis occurs in patients between the ages of three and ten, and adolescent scoliosis occurs in patients aged ten and older.
To diagnose scoliosis, your doctor will do an examination of your spine. The patient will likely be asked to lean forward at the waist to allow the doctor to look for anything abnormal in the curvature of the spine. Dextroscoliosis and levoscoliosis can be present in the same patient, and the doctor will need x-rays to confirm the diagnosis. From x-rays, the doctor can measure the angles of curvature of the spine. These angles help your doctor develop a treatment plan.
There is no difference in the treatment of patients with dextroscoliosis versus those with levoscoliosis. Childhood scoliosis is monitored over time but usually not treated. Patients with juvenile or adolescent scoliosis are treated according to the angle of curvature. If the curvature is less than 25 degrees, the patient is only monitored. Patients with curvatures between 25 and 40 degrees are usually treated with a back brace to keep the condition from getting worse.
The back brace usually extends from the patient’s armpits to the lower back. It can be uncomfortable or cumbersome, but it can be effective in maintaining the angle of the curved spine. The brace will not cure scoliosis, but it may prevent it from getting worse. Bends greater than 40 degrees are severe enough to require the patient to undergo surgery. The surgery would involve implanting rods and screws to strengthen the vertebrae.
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