OrthoGeorgia Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon, Ryan Schnetzer, MD, Discusses Pediatric Scoliosis

Below is a transcription of the above interview with Dr. Ryan Schnetzer. Dr. Schnetzer discusses pediatric scoliosis, its symptoms, and how we treat this common childhood condition at OrthoGeorgia.

What Are the Symptoms of Pediatric Scoliosis?

My name is Dr. Ryan Schnetzer. I’m an orthopaedic surgeon here at OrthoGeorgia. Today, we’re going to talk a little bit about pediatric scoliosis. The main symptoms of pediatric scoliosis are a deformity of the spine that’s going to be noticeable in their back. Usually, you will see a fairly large rib hump or one shoulder that is elevated compared to the other one. A lot of times, these are going to be picked up on pediatric scoliosis screenings that are done usually in middle school or late elementary school, or even by the pediatrician on their normal yearly exam. Referrals are placed either from the pediatrician or directly from the school system after a screening. 

How Does OrthoGeorgia Diagnose and Treat Pediatric Scolosis?

Pediatric Scoliosis Diagnosis

We have the patients come in. We get X-rays and we’re able to look at them and evaluate them. I do have an image here of a child that had pediatric scoliosis. In this image, you can see that there’s a fairly significant curve, and there’s really three curves – a main one in the middle with two offsetting curves above and below to help the body kind of maintain balance. 

Pediatric Scoliosis Treatment

So, once we diagnose scoliosis, we do a couple things. The first is we measure the degree of the curvatures, and we want to look at the skeletal maturity of the patient. If the curve is more than 20 degrees and the patient is still skeletally mature, we like to treat these with bracing. These can be anywhere from a nighttime brace only to a brace we try to wear 23 to 24 hours a day. Once curves reach greater than 50 degrees, there’s a risk of them continuing to progress into adulthood. At this point we have the discussion regarding surgery to fix the curves. 

Surgical Options for Pediatric Scoliosis

The surgeries to fix the curves are fairly extensive. It all depends, really, on the size of the curve and the patient themselves. It can be anywhere from a selective fusion in just the middle or the thoracic spine to a fusion that goes from the thoracic spine all the way to the lumbar spine as in this image here. So, if you have any concerns of scoliosis in your child, if you notice that one shoulder is higher than the other, they’re having difficulties walking, or if you see large, predominant ribs in their back, give us a call today.

Orthopaedic Spine Specialists in Central Georgia

At OrthoGeorgia, we are proud to offer comprehensive neck, back, and spine care to patients of all ages. Our team of spine surgeons, pain management specialists, and spine rehabilitation specialists will work with you and your child to determine the best next steps for care, all while ensuring that you are comfortable with your care plan every step of the way. Spine care from OrthoGeorgia is available at our offices in Macon, Warner Robins, Kathleen, Milledgeville, and Dublin – contact us to get started today!