Causes of Kyphosis

Healthy vertebrae are approximately rectangular-shaped and stacked one on top of another. Disease or fractures can damage the vertebrae. For example, if fractured, vertebrae may lose their normal shape and may begin to look like wedges, causing the vertebrae to collapse on one another and creating a curve in the spine.

Diseases That Can be Associated with Kyphosis

• Arthritis
• Connective tissue disorders
• Disc degeneration
• Endocrine disease
• Infection
• Muscular dystrophy
• Neurofibromatosis
• Paget’s disease
• Polio
• Spina bifida
• Tumors

There are two different kinds of kyphosis, and they can both affect babies, children, teenagers, and adults. The first type, postural kyphosis, is caused by bad posture and can be corrected by the patient. The second type is caused by a structural disorder, and cannot be fixed without medical treatment.

Some people are born with the second kind of kyphosis, which is called congenital kyphosis. It is caused by either missing or incompletely formed parts of the spine. During a growth period, a person with a vertebra that has not formed correctly may find they develop a pronounced kyphotic curve. If the curve becomes severe it may press on the spinal nerves and cause pain.

Kyphosis in Children and Adolescents

Scheuermann’s disease is a type of kyphosis that occurs in children. It develops in the thoracic (the middle) region of the spine. Scheuermann’s kyphosis occurs when the front of the spine doesn’t grow as fast as the back of the spine. Doctors have found that some children begin to develop this type of kyphosis between the ages of 12 and 15—generally a period of bone growth. Doctors don’t know why some children develop this disease.