POSTTRAUMATIC SCOLIOSIS

A case of posttraumatic scoliosis due a misdiagnosed lumbosacral unila teral dislocation was observed 6 weeks after a traffic injury in a 15- year-old boy. Cobb angle was 30 degrees on T10-L4 with 20 degrees rota tion on L1 and L2. Initial radiographs were normal. The scoliosis was corrected after surgical correction of the dislocation; at 5-year foll ow-up, the patient worked normally; there was no scoliosis. The sugges ted physiopathology of this structural scoliosis is similar to spondyl olisthetic scoliosis of childhood in which asymmetrical forward displa cement of the vertebral body results in rotational shift of the verteb ra, with lumbar scoliosis. Correction of the scoliosis depends on corr ection of the tumbosacral dislocation.