From the Guidelines
Kyphosis of the spine is a type of spinal deformity characterized by an abnormal curvature of the spine, often defined as a curvature of 15% or more.
Key Characteristics
- Kyphosis can result from various factors, including osteoporotic compression fractures 1
- Spinal deformity, including kyphosis, can contribute to impaired mobility and physical functioning
- The definition of spinal deformity may include kyphosis, scoliosis, dorsal wall height reduction, or vertebral body height loss 1
Clinical Implications
- Approximately 1 in 5 patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) will develop chronic back pain as a result of the fracture 1
- Conservative medical treatment may not prevent further collapse and kyphosis, highlighting the importance of timely intervention 1
- The VERTOS II randomized control trial revealed that 40% of conservatively treated patients had no significant pain relief after 1 year, despite higher class prescription medication 1
From the Research
Definition of Kyphosis
- Kyphosis is a dorsally convex curvature of the spine in the sagittal plane 2
- A pathological kyphosis of the thoracic spine has a Cobb angle greater than 50 degrees 2
- Kyphosis can be described as an abnormally rounded back 3
Causes of Kyphosis
- Kyphosis can occur when the anterior and/or posterior load-transferring elements of the spine are overloaded or damaged 2
- It can also be caused by trauma, developmental anomalies, degenerative disc disease, inflammatory diseases, infectious diseases, and iatrogenic factors 3
- Infections of the spine, such as tuberculous spinal infection, can also lead to kyphosis 4
Types of Kyphosis
- Congenital kyphosis 3
- Scheuermann's kyphosis 3
- Tumor-related kyphosis 3
- Neuromuscular kyphosis 3
- Post-traumatic kyphosis 3
- Infection-related kyphosis 3, 4
- Iatrogenic kyphosis 3
- Proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK), a common complication following adult spinal deformity surgery 5