Scoliosis For Kids

A simple blod test could determine whether a child will develop Scoliosis and to what extent. The predictive screeening test promises to radically change the treatment of idiopathic Scoliosis, the most common form of orthopedic deformity.

Causes of Scoliosis are largely unknown, but team from MOntreals Ste-Justine Univeristy Hospital Centre, led by Alain Morue, has established a link between adolescent Scoliosis and a flaw in the transmission of melatonin, a hormone that is involved in regulating bone metabolisn. So far, Moreau's test had proven effective in identifying the presence of a genetic marker in animals and in adult patients with the condition.

Eventually, this marker could predict the progression of Scoliosis in infants, Moreau says, opening the door to less invasives therapies, including nutrition counselling, physiotherapy, corrective back braces and drugs.