Transcript The Spine - Kent City School District

The Spine
HCT I
The Spine
• The spine is
composed of different
sections that are
connected in such a
way that they form a
flexible curved rod.
There are three
sections of the spine
Parts of the vertebrae
Curves of the spine
• There are four natural
curves to the spine.
• Cervical and LumbarConcave
• Thoracic and sacralConvex
Importance of curves
• Provide strength- Curved structures are stronger
than straight structures (look at a bridge)
• Necessary for balance
• If you think about it our spine supports our
▫ Head
▫ Ribs
▫ Hips and legs attached to it below
Curvature of the spine
• Poor posture can or disease can lead to swayback
or lordosis.
Curvature of the spine
• Abnormal thoracic curvature is Kyphosis or
hunchback
Curvature of the spine
• Abnormal side to side curvature is known as
scoliosis.
Scoliosis treatment
• The goal of treatment for scoliosis is to prevent the
spinal curve from getting worse and to correct or
stabilize a severe spinal curve. Fortunately, few
people who have spinal curves require treatment.
• The type of treatment depends on the cause of
scoliosis. Scoliosis that is caused by another
condition (nonstructural scoliosis) usually improves
when the condition, such as muscle spasms or a
difference in leg length, is treated. Scoliosis that is
caused by a disease or by an unknown factor
(structural scoliosis) is more likely than
nonstructural scoliosis to need treatment
Treatments
• Nonsurgical treatment. This includes either routine
exams by a doctor to check for any curve progression or
the use of a brace to stop a spinal curve from getting
worse. Children typically have these check-ups about
every 4 to 6 months. Adults are usually checked about
once each year.
• Surgical treatment. Surgery can be used to insert
implants to hold the spine in place or fuse the spine
together so that the curve cannot get worse.
• Treatment is based on the age of the person, the size of
the curve, and the risk of progression. The risk of
progression is based on age at diagnosis, the size of the
curve (as measured using X-rays of the spine and
skeletal age.