Incidence, natural history, and treatment of scoliosis in Friedreich's ataxia. 1984

R B Cady, and W P Bobechko

We carried out a retrospective study of 42 patients with documented Friedreich's ataxia to answer four questions: what is the incidence and natural history of scoliosis in Friedreich's ataxia, and what are the results of operative and nonoperative treatment? We concluded that the incidence of scoliosis in true Friedreich's ataxia is extremely high. The curves tend to progress with the severity of the disease and often tend to progress after skeletal maturity. Bracing and electrospinal instrumentation have no role in treatment. Patients with progressive curves should have early surgical stabilization.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D001915 Braces Orthopedic appliances used to support, align, or hold parts of the body in correct position. (Dorland, 28th ed) Brace
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D002675 Child, Preschool A child between the ages of 2 and 5. Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D005260 Female Females
D005621 Friedreich Ataxia An autosomal recessive disease, usually of childhood onset, characterized pathologically by degeneration of the spinocerebellar tracts, posterior columns, and to a lesser extent the corticospinal tracts. Clinical manifestations include GAIT ATAXIA, pes cavus, speech impairment, lateral curvature of spine, rhythmic head tremor, kyphoscoliosis, congestive heart failure (secondary to a cardiomyopathy), and lower extremity weakness. Most forms of this condition are associated with a mutation in a gene on chromosome 9, at band q13, which codes for the mitochondrial protein frataxin. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p1081; N Engl J Med 1996 Oct 17;335(16):1169-75) The severity of Friedreich ataxia associated with expansion of GAA repeats in the first intron of the frataxin gene correlates with the number of trinucleotide repeats. (From Durr et al, N Engl J Med 1996 Oct 17;335(16):1169-75) Friedreich Disease,Hereditary Spinal Sclerosis,Sclerosis, Hereditary Spinal,Friedreich Familial Ataxia,Friedreich Hereditary Ataxia,Friedreich Hereditary Spinal Ataxia,Friedreich Spinocerebellar Ataxia,Friedreich's Ataxia,Friedreich's Disease,Friedreich's Familial Ataxia,Friedreich's Hereditary Ataxia,Friedreich's Hereditary Spinal Ataxia,Hereditary Spinal Ataxia, Friedreich,Hereditary Spinal Ataxia, Friedreich's,Ataxia, Friedreich,Ataxia, Friedreich Familial,Ataxia, Friedreich Hereditary,Ataxia, Friedreich Spinocerebellar,Ataxia, Friedreich's,Ataxia, Friedreich's Familial,Ataxia, Friedreich's Hereditary,Ataxias, Friedreich,Ataxias, Friedreich's Hereditary,Disease, Friedreich,Disease, Friedreich's,Familial Ataxia, Friedreich,Familial Ataxia, Friedreich's,Friedreich Ataxias,Friedreich's Hereditary Ataxias,Friedreichs Familial Ataxia,Friedreichs Hereditary Ataxia,Hereditary Ataxia, Friedreich,Hereditary Ataxia, Friedreich's,Hereditary Ataxias, Friedreich's,Hereditary Spinal Scleroses,Scleroses, Hereditary Spinal,Spinal Scleroses, Hereditary,Spinal Sclerosis, Hereditary,Spinocerebellar Ataxia, Friedreich
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293 Adolescent A person 13 to 18 years of age. Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D012189 Retrospective Studies Studies used to test etiologic hypotheses in which inferences about an exposure to putative causal factors are derived from data relating to characteristics of persons under study or to events or experiences in their past. The essential feature is that some of the persons under study have the disease or outcome of interest and their characteristics are compared with those of unaffected persons. Retrospective Study,Studies, Retrospective,Study, Retrospective
D012600 Scoliosis An appreciable lateral deviation in the normally straight vertical line of the spine. (Dorland, 27th ed) Scolioses

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