Pain provoked scoliosis. Observations on the evolution of the deformity

The case reports of 5 children with scoliosis provoked by painful vertebral lesions of osteoid osteoma and eosinophilic granuloma reveal that the final outcome of the deformity is determined by the interaction of 2 factors: the age of the child (in relation to his growth velocity); the duration of symptoms. Complete resolution in 2 children with scoliosis of 10 months' and one year's duration respectively, and partial regression of a curve which has been present for 6 years in another child draws attention to the fact that spontaneous correction of structural scoliosis can and does occur in a growing child. In the light of this and other evidence it is suggested that early idiopathic scoliosis could possess the potential for spontaneous correction.