[Distinctive problems of the surgical treatment of scoliosis after 50 years]

Idiopathic scoliosis starts in childhood, still increases all along adult life, progressively deteriorates especially in lumbar area, and lately results into functional problems in elderly patients. More recently described an osteoarthritic lumbar variety of scoliosis starts "de novo" in the fifties, leading as well to surgical management, mainly in its kyphoscoliotic variety. Surgical correction procedures such as performed in young patients were progressively adjusted to elderly patients, with consideration to special conditions, such as age, general health and bone quality. Besides, orthopedic management and bracing should not be disregarded in older patients.