Scoliosis - Description  When viewed from the back, the spine
usually appears perfectly straight. In some cases, however, the
spine is curved rather than straight. In addition, the vertebrae
(the bones that make up the spinal column) are twisted. This
condition is known as scoliosis.  A small degree of curving in
the spine does not usually cause any medical problems. But
larger curves can lead to certain disorders, such as posture
imbalance, muscle fatigue, and back pain. Severe scoliosis can
interfere with breathing and lead to spondylosis (arthritis of
the spine; pronounced spon-dl-OH-siss).  About 10 percent of all
adolescents have some degree of scoliosis. Less than 1 percent,
however, require medical attention other than careful
observation of the problem. Scoliosis occurs in both sexes, but
appears in girls about five times more often than in boys.
Scoliosis appears most often in adolescents between the age of
ten and thirteen.  Cobb angle: A measure of the curvature of the
spine, determined from measur