Neuromuscular Scoliosis

  • classified
    • neuropathic or myopathic
    • Cerebral palsy is paradigm of neuropathic scoliosis; myopathic paradigm of myopathic scoliosis
  • Important points
    • ­ often progressive
    • very severe
    • long C type curve
      • that can involve whole of thoracic & lumbar spine & extend into pelvis
    • Pelvic obliquity
      • frequently develops, with high side of pelvis lying in concavity of curve
    • NO bracing
    • ­ complications
      • pseudoarthrosis
      • respiratory
  • Fusion
    • prevent progression
    • in seated patients
      • pelvis to at least T2
    • Luque instrumentation with multiple segmental sublaminar wires (posterior)
Neuromuscular Scoliosis, standing radiograph of a scoliosis with the cobb angle marked
Standing radiograph of a scoliosis with the Cobb angle marked. Image by HR Weiss, S Seibel, A Kleban Annotated by Mikael Häggström, M.D. Author info – Reusing images- Conflicts of interest: None Mikael Häggström, M.D., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.

Reviewed by Professor Phong Tran, Head of Orthopaedic Surgery, Western Health. Last updated 10 October 2026.