Hippocrates becomes the “godfather” of these conditions as he was the first to use the terms “scoliosis”, “kyphosis”, “lordosis” to describe spinal deformities.

“THE scoliosis is the three-dimensional deformation of the spine that either occurs idiopathically and develops during the child’s development, or is secondary, after some vertebral damage that leads to its deformation. Most scoliosis has no known cause and is called idiopathic. During the teenage years, scoliosis is more common in girls than boys,” says Mr. Marios Lykissas Director of the Orthopedic Department of the Spine Metropolitan Hospital, Adjunct Professor of Orthopedics and Senior Clinical Associate at Weill Cornell University in New Norwich and continues to debunk the myths about the occurrence of scoliosis and its treatment:

Scoliosis does not limit sports activities

TRUTH

Any person who has scoliosis can participate in any sports activity without any restrictions. Exceptions are severe scoliosis that makes breathing difficult or when there are underlying problems. People with scoliosis should be active and keep their back muscles in shape. After a scoliosis surgery the return to any sports activity is possible after a period of 3 months. Exceptions are sports that require contact of the athlete’s body with other athletes (e.g. basketball, football), where the return to these sports is possible after a period of 1 year from the surgery.

The school bag and poor posture predispose to the appearance of scoliosis

MYTH

Scoliosis cannot be caused by “bad” posture whatever it is. It is not caused by carrying a heavy school bag or any activity that a child or adult does or does not do. In most cases scoliosis is idiopathic, meaning there is no known underlying cause. In idiopathic scoliosis, another number of genes control the appearance of the scoliosis and its size. Age of onset and severity of scoliosis at diagnosis are also important factors that will determine how much it will worsen.

Surgical treatment does not help to treat scoliosis

MYTH

It is widely accepted by the international medical community that spinal surgery is the only proven way to treat scoliosis that exceeds 45 degrees. Exceptions are very young children and smaller casts, where splints or casts are therapeutic alternatives. Treatments such as physical therapy from an experienced physical therapist and daily exercise can help with pain and improve posture and flexibility, but unfortunately will not reduce the size of a scoliosis or slow its progression.

Scoliosis usually worsens rapidly and is noticed during adolescence

TRUTH

Scoliosis usually worsens very quickly during adolescence because the child in this period is growing rapidly. As a parent you shouldn’t blame yourself for not noticing scoliosis sooner. The child’s scoliosis likely worsened very quickly over the course of just a few months. Observe the child’s back and shoulders at regular intervals. If something worries you, seek the opinion of an expert.

After a spinal surgery there is a high risk of paralysis

MYTH

There are risks involved in all surgical procedures, but the chance of paralysis in spinal surgery using modern surgical techniques is now very small. In the last three years, starting from the USA, robotic surgery has been developed and applied to spine surgery. As the human factor moves aside and gives way to robotic surgery, the possibility of medical error and paralysis is eliminated.

After spine surgery, activities will be significantly limited

MYTH

After the operation, many believe that they will not be able to participate in activities such as horse riding, ballet, dancing, gymnastics and diving. All people with scoliosis can now after surgery, with the help of robotic navigation, return to all these activities usually after a period of 3 months. Contact sports are an exception, where this period is extended to 1 year.

Scoliosis does not always require surgery

TRUTH

When a child or adult is diagnosed with scoliosis it does not mean that they will need to undergo surgery. If the scoliosis is too large to begin with or increases too quickly, then surgical treatment will indeed be required. However, many people just need to be checked at regular intervals to make sure the scoliosis isn’t getting worse.

Scoliosis can affect pregnancy

MYTH

Women suffering from scoliosis does not mean that they will not be able to have children or will not be able to have a normal delivery. Scoliosis has no effect on conception and in most cases women will not experience problems with their pregnancy and childbirth. The midwife and gynecologist should be aware of the particularity of your spine. If you are going to have an epidural injection (either for pain relief or to perform a caesarean), the anesthetist should be aware of the presence of scoliosis.

Robots do calculations, they don’t make decisions

TRUTH

The robotic arm used during surgery responds to the precise calculations made by the surgeon and does not in any way replace the surgeon himself. The surgeon makes all the decisions and maintains absolute control throughout the operation. Like any other tool used in surgery, the robot helps the surgeon do his job more efficiently and safely.

Robotic navigation ensures greater precision in spine surgery

TRUTH

Robotic surgery is clearly a safer alternative to conventional surgery, especially in surgeries that require extreme precision such as spine surgery. This is because robots place the implants much more precisely than a doctor’s hand can. According to a recent study, when placing more than 3,000 implants with the help of the robot, the accuracy rate was 98.3%. For implants placed by the human hand, even the best spine surgeons in the world rarely exceed 91% accuracy. For the patient, this improved accuracy translates into safety, smaller incisions, reduced risk of infection, less blood loss, faster recovery and shorter hospital stays.