It is a condition where a right-left or lateral curve develops in a previously straight spine secondary to advanced degenerative disc disease. This curvature occurs as a result of deterioration (or degeneration) of the disc space and joints in the back of the spine.
Scoliosis is a side-to-side curvature of the spine. Degenerative scoliosis may be caused by degeneration of the discs which separate the vertebrae or arthritis in the joints that link them. A: Osteoarthritis certainly can cause degenerative scoliosis, but so can osteoporosis, the condition that is accompanied by brittle and/or porous bones and is associated with loss of calcium from bones. Some of our patients have only one of these problems; many suffer from both. The National Scoliosis Foundation is receiving an increasing number of inquiries about a condition known as degenerative scoliosis. To find out more about this type of curvature, I was asked to interview Dr. Howard A. King, a Clinical Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Washington Depending on the severity and location of pain, degenerative scoliosis is treated with one or more non-surgical options, or with surgery. Most patients with degenerative scoliosis do not need surgery. The goals of non-surgical treatment are to: 1  Reduce pain, rather than to correct the spinal curvature. 2  The curvature itself typically is not the cause of pain, nor is it likely to progress enough to cause a deformity.  Introduction. Degenerative adult scoliosis occurs when the combination of age and deterioration of the spine leads to the development of a scoliosis curve in the spine. Degenerative scoliosis begins after the age of 40. In older patients, particularly women, it is also often related to osteoporosis. Treatment. The treatment for degenerative scoliosis is usually conservative, meaning non-surgical. Treatment that is commonly recommended includes: medications, exercise, and certain types of braces to support the spine. Mild pain medications may be recommended for use when needed. You won't believe these 10 facts about people. Degenerative scoliosis is a condition involving an exaggerated or abnormal spinal curve. Unlike idiopathic scoliosis, it happens after the spine has finished growing, and it is caused by degenerative conditions in the spine. Doctors will examine X-rays of the spine in order to diagnoses degenerative scoliosis. Most patients who develop degenerative scoliosis are elderly, and because the disorder progresses at a very slow rate, surgery is not usually required. The cause of spinal osteoarthritis and degenerative scoliosis is not known, but clearly the condition is accentuated by daily wear and tear or micro-trauma, and activities that jar the spine repeatedly-for example, as in a person who operates a jackhammer. Patients with degenerative scoliosis who undergo fusion of the spine for isolated back pain have results that are comparable to those achieved in patients with degeneration and straight spines. Degenerative scoliosis, also known as adult scoliosis or adult onset scoliosis, describes a side-to-side curvature of the spine cause by degeneration of the facet joints. The condition occurs most frequently occurs in people over 65 years of age. When the pain is severe, physicians must determine: 1  If the degenerative scoliosis itself is causing pain or; 2  Whether or not other conditions (such as a muscle strain) are causing the patient's pain, and if the scoliosis is incidental. Scoliosis is a lateral (toward the side) curvature in the normally straight vertical line of the spine. When viewed from the side, the spine should show a mild roundness in the upper back and shows a degree of swayback (inward curvature) in the lower back. When a person with a normal spine is viewed from the front or back, the spine appears to be straight. Adult degenerative scoliosis is a condition where a right-left or lateral curve develops in a previously straight spine secondary to advanced degenerative disc disease. This curvature occurs as a result of deterioration (or degeneration) of the disc space and joints in the back of the spine. 
http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_degenerative_scoliosis http://www.scoliosis.org/resources/medicalupdates/degenerative.php http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/scoliosis/adult-scoliosis-treatment http://umm.edu/programs/spine/health/guides/degenerative-adult-scoliosis http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-degenerative-scoliosis.htm https://www.hss.edu/conditions_degenerative-scoliosis-overview.asp http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/scoliosis/degenerative-scoliosis http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/guide/arthritis-scoliosis http://www.nuvasive.com/patient-solutions/indications/degenerative-scoliosis/
what is degenerative scoliosis