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What is a Congenital Spinal Deformity?
Just as organs of a fetus develop within the first three months inside the uterus, the spine also completes its growth during the same period. During this process, abnormal formation of the spine or lack of separation causes asymmetric vertebral growth, which subsequently results in spinal deformities (scoliosis or kyphosis). The type of deformity depends on which part of the spine the abnormal vertebra is located and in which direction. The normal spine is straight when looking at a person from the back.
When looking from the side, a mild gibbosity in the upper back (kyphosis) and lordosis (lumbar swayback) should be present. Scoliosis or increased kyphosis or lordosis observed in congenital cases occurs from asymmetric growth of the abnormal vertebrae.