Scoliosis Suken A. Shah, MD Nemours（脊柱侧凸Suken a·沙阿穆尔）.pdfVIP

Suken A. Shah, MD Scoliosis Pediatric Orthopaedic and Scoliosis Surgery Department of Orthopaedics 1600 Rockland Road, PO Box 269 What is Scoliosis? Wilmington, DE 19899 302-651-5904 The Spine The spine is a column of small bones, or vertebrae, that support the entire upper body. The column is grouped into three sections of vertebrae: • The cervical (C) vertebrae are the five spinal bones that support the neck. • The thoracic (T) vertebrae are the twelve spinal bones that connect to the rib cage. • The lumbar (L) vertebrae are the five lowest and largest bones of the spinal column. Most of the body’s weight and stress falls on the lumbar vertebrae. • Below the lumbar region is the sacrum, a shield-shaped bony structure that connects with the pelvis at the sacroiliac joints. • At the end of the sacrum are two to four tiny, partially fused vertebrae known as the coccyx or “tail bone.” Each vertebra can be designated by using a letter and number; the letter reflects the region (C=cervical, T=thoracic and L=lumbar), and the number signifies its location within that region. For example, C4 is the fourth bone down in the cervical region, and T8 is the eighth thoracic vertebrae. Vertebrae in the spinal column are separated from each other by small cushions of cartilage known as int