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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staff
Your spine (vertebral column) is composed of bones (vertebrae), which are held together by tough, fibrous bands (ligaments). The vertebral column consists of seven neck (cervical) vertebrae, 12 middle back (thoracic) vertebrae and five lower back (lumbar) vertebrae. Lumbar vertebrae are the largest, and they carry most of your body's weight. The sacrum, containing five fused vertebrae, is below the lumbar vertebrae. The last three tiny vertebrae, also fused together, are called the tailbone (coccyx).
Kyphosis is a forward rounding of the vertebrae in your thoracic spine. The vertebrae in your thoracic spine connect to your ribs.
Causes of kyphosis depend on the different types of kyphosis.
Types of kyphosis in children and adolescents
For children or adolescents, the most common types include:
- Postural kyphosis. This type mainly becomes apparent in adolescence. The onset of postural kyphosis generally is slow. It's more common in girls. Poor posture or slouching may cause stretching of the spinal ligaments and abnormal formation of the bones of the spine (vertebrae). Postural kyphosis often is accompanied by an exaggerated inward curve (hyperlordosis) in the lower (lumbar) spine. Hyperlordosis is the body's way of compensating for the exaggerated outward curve in the upper spine.
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Scheuermann's kyphosis. Like postural kyphosis, Scheuermann's kyphosis typically appears in adolescence, often between ages 10 and 15, while the bones are still growing. Also called Scheuermann disease, it's slightly more common in boys. Scheuermann's kyphosis may deform the vertebrae so that they appear wedge shaped, rather than rectangular, on X-rays. There may be another finding, known as Schmorl's nodes, on the affected vertebrae. These nodes are the result of the cushion (disk) between the vertebrae pushing through bone at the bottom and top of a vertebra (end plates).
The cause of Scheuermann's kyphosis is unknown, but it tends to run in families. Some people with this type of kyphosis also have scoliosis, a spinal deformity that causes a side-to-side curve. Adults who developed Scheuermann's during childhood may experience increased pain as they get older.
- Congenital kyphosis. A malformation of the spinal column during fetal development causes kyphosis in some infants. Several vertebrae may be fused together or the bones may not form properly. This type of kyphosis may worsen as the child grows. In some cases, congenital kyphosis eventually leads to paralysis of the lower body (paraplegia).
Causes in adults
Disorders that may cause a curvature of the spine in adults, resulting in kyphosis, include:
- Osteoporosis, a bone-thinning disease that's associated with fractures of the vertebrae, which cause compression of the spine and contribute to kyphosis
- Degenerative arthritis of the spine, which can cause deterioration of the bones and disks of the spine
- Ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory arthritis that affects the spine and nearby joints
- Connective tissue disorders, such as Marfan syndrome, that may affect the connective tissue's ability to hold joints in their proper position
- Tuberculosis and other infections of the spine, which can result in destruction of joints
- Cancer or benign tumors that impinge on bones of the spine and force them out of position
- Spina bifida, a birth defect in which part of the spine doesn't form completely, and which causes defects of the spinal cord and vertebrae
- Conditions that cause paralysis, such as cerebral palsy and polio, and that stiffen the bones of the spine
- Kyphosis (roundback) of the spine. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00423&return_link=0. Accessed Jan. 15, 2010.
- Kyphosis. In: Canale ST, et al. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/178504199-3/939924608/1584/290.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-03329-9..50041-6--cesec146_1870. Accessed Jan. 15, 2010.
- Spiegel DA. The spine. In: Kliegman RM, et al. Kliegman: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/178504199-7/0/1608/1580.html?tocnode=54487234&fromURL=1580.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50680-0--cesec14_12497. Accessed Jan. 15, 2010.
- Kyphoplasty. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00388. Accessed Jan. 15, 2010.
- Thomas MA, et al. Scoliosis and kyphosis. In: Frontera WR, et al. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/178504199-10/939961186/1678/200.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4007-1..50145-0--cesec17_2442. Accessed Jan. 15, 2010.
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