Definition
Scoliosis is a curve or a complex of curves in the rachis which become manifest mainly on the frontal plane, showing a structural deformity (with more or less evident aesthetic alterations) which can be noticed through a rotation of the vertebrae on their own axis (fig. 1) visible – on the patient’s back through a bulge called hump (fig. 2); this deformity is fixed, permanent, and consequently it cannot be modified voluntarily by the patient who suffers from it. Only and exclusively the presence of the hump characterizes the scoliotic curve and makes it pathological..

Fig 1

Fig 1
The rachis rotates around the lengthwise axis, associating the torsion of each single vertebra to the rotation;
As a consequence, we find the following:
- A displacement of the vertebral bodies towards the convex side of the curve
- A displacement of the spinous processes towards the concave side of the curve
- The costal hump