Kyphosis is a spinal deformity that can result from trauma, developmental problems, or degenerative disease. Kyphosis can occur at any age, although it is rare at birth.
Adolescent kyphosis, also known as Scheuermann's disease, results from the wedging of several consecutive vertebrae. The cause of Scheuermann's disease is unknown.
In adults, kyphosis can be a result of osteoporotic compression fractures, degenerative disease (like arthritis), or spondylolisthesis (slipping of one vertebra forward on another).
Other causes of kyphosis include infection (such as tuberculosis), spina bifida (congenital deformity with incomplete formation of part of the spine), disk degeneration, endocrine diseases, Paget's disease, polio, and tumors.
Kyphosis can also be seen in association with scoliosis (an abnormal sideways curvature of the spine seen in children and adolescents). Risk factors are related to the causes.
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