Scoliosis successful management of diseases causing spinal deformity, many patients suffered from scoliosis with no known cause. The unknown cause was eventually determined to be idiopathic scoliosis. Alfred Shands Jr., an orthopedic surgeon, discovered that two percent of patients had non-disease related scoliosis. Idiopathic scoliosis, also known as the "cancer of orthopedic surgery", was determined to be dangerous because there was no current treatment. The condition needed to be detected in patients promptly so treatment could be developed in time to halt its progression. As a result, schools made it mandatory for students to have screenings for scoliosis. Early on, set
Scoliosis is due to genetic factors, and 62% is due to the environment. The genetics are likely complex, however, given the inconsistent inheritance and discordance among monozygotic twins. The specific genes that contribute to development of scoliosis have not been conclusively identified. At least one gene, "CHD7", has been associated with the idiopathic form of scoliosis. Several candidate gene studies have found associations between idiopathic scoliosis and genes mediating bone formation, bone metabolism, and connective tissue structure. Several genome-wide studies have identified a number of loci as significantly linked to idiopathic scoliosis. In 2006, idiopathic scoliosis was linked with three microsatellite