• UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine
Pediatric Neurosurgery

Pediatric Neurosurgery

Pediatric Neurosurgery
  • About Us
    • Family-Centered Care
    • Chase Child Life
    • In the News
    • Webinars
  • Meet Our Team
  • Conditions & Treatment
    • Pediatric Brain Tumor Program
    • Pediatric Chiari and Syringomyelia Program
    • Pediatric Concussion Program
    • Pediatric Craniosynostosis Program
    • Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery
    • Pediatric Hydrocephalus Program
    • Pediatric Neurovascular Program
    • Pediatric Scoliosis Program
  • Resources for Families
    • A Guide to Preparing for Surgery
    • Admission Information
    • Facilities & Amenities
    • Visitors
    • Medical Records
    • UCLA Neurosurgery App
  • Giving
  • Patient Stories
    • Rhianna's Story - Chiari Malformation
    • Cameron’s Story - Brain Tumor
    • Kobe's Story - Using Virtual Reality for Brain Surgery
    • Brock's Story - Brain Seizures
    • Nathan's Story - Tuberous Sclerosis Complex
    • Nikki's Story - Epilepsy
    • Aiden's Story - Sturge-Weber Syndrome
    • Lucy's Story - Tuberous Sclerosis
    • Nichele - Spinabifida
  • Contact Us
    • Appointment Request
    • Telemedicine and Remote Second Opinion
    • Maps and Directions
  • UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine

Pediatric Neurosurgery

Conditions & Treatment

Conditions & Treatment

Conditions & Treatment

  • Pediatric Brain Tumor Program
    • Brain Tumors
    • Our Physician Team
    • Referring Physicians
  • Pediatric Chiari and Syringomyelia Program
    • Faculty
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Pediatric Concussion Program
  • Pediatric Craniosynostosis Program
  • Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery
    • Epilepsy FAQs
    • Diseases and Conditions
      • Focal Cortical Dysplasia
      • Hemimegalencephaly
      • Rasmussen’s Encephalitis
      • Sturge-Weber Syndrome
    • Diagnostic Operations
    • Epilepsy Treatment
      • Hemispherectomy
      • Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy
    • Our Epilepsy Team
    • Patient Services
    • Patient Stories
    • Helpful Links
    • Hemispherectomy Outcome Prediction Scale (HOPS)
    • High Frequency Oscillation
    • Rare Epilepsies & Brain Disease Tissue Bank (REBDTB)
      • Participate in Ongoing Research
      • Donate Biological Samples To The Tissue Bank
      • Submit a Proposal For Research
      • About the Rare Epilepsies & Brain Disease Tissue Bank
      • Contact the Rare Epilepsies & Brain Disease Tissue Bank
  • Pediatric Hydrocephalus Program
    • Hydrocephalus FAQs
    • Faculty
  • Pediatric Neurovascular Program
  • Pediatric Scoliosis Program
  • Pediatric Brain Tumor Program
  • Pediatric Chiari and Syringomyelia Program
  • Pediatric Concussion Program
  • Pediatric Craniosynostosis Program
  • Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery
  • Pediatric Hydrocephalus Program
  • Pediatric Neurovascular Program
  • Pediatric Scoliosis Program
  1. Home
  2. Conditions & Treatment
  3. Pediatric Scoliosis Program

Pediatric Scoliosis Program

Share this

Pediatric Scoliosis Program

Pediatric Scoliosis Program

Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine that frequently develops during adolescent years. This abnormal curvature is usually directed to one side or the other and commonly referred to as a coronal curve. To meet the diagnostic criteria for scoliosis, this coronal curvature has to measure ten or more degrees. Most abnormal curvatures are referred to as idiopathic, meaning we do not understand or know why they occur.

Pediatric Scoliosis Program

Scoliosis is not a common disorder, affecting approximately two out of a thousand children. Although more boys are diagnosed with curvatures less than 10 degrees, the prevalence of clinically significant scoliosis (curvatures greater than 30 degrees) is far greater in girls versus boys. The large majority of patients will present after the age of ten, which usually coincides with a period of rapid growth that leads to progression of the spinal curvature.

Although the majority of children diagnosed with scoliosis will not require treatment, there are certain criteria that should prompt an evaluation by an expert pediatric spine surgeon. This includes children ten years and younger with spinal curvatures measuring 10 degrees or more and adolescents over the age of ten with curvatures measuring 20 degrees or more. Additionally, if a child has an atypical curve pattern or suffers from neurological symptoms, a consultation with an expert is strongly advised.

Pediatric Scoliosis Program

Depending on the child’s age and curve magnitude, surgical correction of scoliosis may be necessary. For patients with spinal curves measuring greater between 20 and 40 degrees, a brace may be used to slow progression of the curvature. This treatment is not always effective and success is correlated significantly with adherence. However, curvatures of the spine that measure over 50 degrees will continue to progress and surgical correction is advised.

The pediatric scoliosis program at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital is a world-class, multidisciplinary program designed for the unique needs of your child. At UCLA, your child will be treated by experts in their field to ensure a successful and safe outcome. Not only do we use cutting-edge technology, through our numerous, collaborative research projects at UCLA we are actively developing therapies of the future. Whether your child needs just an x-ray or state-of-the-art surgery, the pediatric scoliosis program at UCLA is here to help.

Meet Our Expert Team

Luke Macyszyn, MD, MA  
Luke Macyszyn, MD, MA

Pediatric Spine Surgery

 

Noriko Salamon, MD, PhD  
Noriko Salamon, MD, PhD

Pediatric Neuroradiology

 

Jae H. Jung, MD  
Jae H. Jung, MD

Sports Medicine

 

Jack Buckley, MD  
Jack Buckley, MD

Anesthesiology

 

Natalie C. Moreland, MD  
Natalie C. Moreland, MD

Anesthesiology

 

Pedro E. Coutin-Churchman, MD, PhD  
Pedro E. Coutin-Churchman, MD, PhD

Neuromonitoring
Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Subscribe to Our Videos on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Connect with Us on LinkedIn Follow us on Pinterest
  • UCLA Health
  • Find a Doctor
  • School of Medicine
  • School of Nursing
  • UCLA Campus
  • Directory
  • Newsroom
  • Subscribe
  • Patient Stories
  • Giving
  • Careers
  • Volunteer
  • International Services
  • Privacy Practices
  • Nondiscrimination
  • Billing
  • Health Plans
  • Emergency
  • Report Broken Links
  • Terms of Use
  • 1-310-825-2631
  • Maps & Directions
  • Contact Us
  • Your Feedback
  • Report Misconduct
  • Get Social
  • Sitemap
Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Subscribe to Our Videos on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Connect with Us on LinkedIn Follow us on Pinterest

Sign in to myUCLAhealth