Skip to main content

Kyphosis, Sports Medicine

Joseph Medellin, MD, MPH, MBA and Mark E. Lavallee, MD, CSCS, FACSM Reviewed 04/2019
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • Kyphosis is a fixed exaggerated anteroposterior (AP) curvature of the thoracic spine.

  • Scoliosis is a fixed lateral curvature of the spine (>10 degrees by Cobb angle) and vertebral ...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Upper back curvature, often painless

  • Often noticed by an observer, such as a parent, partner, or spouse

  • Cases of nonpainful, nontraumatic kyphosis are often discovered in school-based s...

TREATMENT

  • Management options include observation, bracing, physical therapy, oral medicine (osteoporosis), and surgical invention (in rare cases).

  • Idiopathic kyphosis in adolescence and Scheuermann kyp...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Refer to orthopedic/spine specialist when there is a:

    • Nonbraceable curve of the thoracic spine (apex of curve higher than T6).

    • Worsening curvature despite bracing.

    • C...

REFERENCES

1
Palazzo C, Sailhan F, Revel M. Scheuermann’s disease: an update. Joint Bone Spine.  2014;81(3):209–214.
2
Weinstein SL, Dolan LA, Wright JG, et al. Effects of bracing in adolescents wit...

ADDITIONAL READING

  • Dobbs MB, Weinstein SL. Infantile and juvenile scoliosis. Orthop Clin North Am.  1999;30(3):331–341.

  • Dolan LA, Haggerty KA, Weinstein SL, et al. Evaluation of TLSOS in the braci...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Sports and athletic activity are allowed and encouraged for all patients with nonpainful kyphosis in nonoperative treatment.

  • Postoperative patients’ return to play is at the discretion ...

Subscribe to Access Full Content

Sign Up for a 10-Day Free Trial

Sign up for a 10-day FREE Trial now and receive full access to all content.

×