USA Health First In State To Offer Alternative Scoliosis Surgery

USA Health is the first health system in Alabama to offer a surgical treatment for children with scoliosis that allows the spine to remain flexible and continue to grow. The procedure, called vertebral body tethering, is an alternative to spinal fusion for some children who have not finished growing. Idiopathic scoliosis, the most common type of scoliosis, is an abnormal curvature of the spine not due to some other underlying disease. Many children or teens diagnosed with mild scoliosis do not require medical treatment or may need a brace to keep the curve from worsening. For severe cases, the main treatment has been spinal fusion, in which surgeons insert rods and screws to hold the spine in a straighter position. Vertebral body tethering, introduced as an alternative to spinal fusion approximately 10 years ago, allows for greater mobility and flexibility in the spine.