Idiopathic scoliosis. What is it?

Idiopathic scoliosis is generally considered as a uniform pathologic condition. However, its three groups, the infantile, the juvenile and the adolescent idiopathic scolioses and the seven patterns of the curve, except for the thoracospinal deformity, have nothing else in common but their unknown etiology, pathogenesis and pathomechanism. On the other hand, several known variations between the three groups of idiopathic scoliosis and between the patterns of the curve are challenging the undiscriminated use of the term today. Increased cognizance of the unknown cause, origin, and pathomechanism involved in the development of the thoracospinal deformity in the different forms of the condition would promote the ultimate task of relevant research, i.e. early treatment and in the long-term prophylaxis.