The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-10-15
LATERAL CURVATURE

VT SrINC
Broadly speaking, lateral curvature
Of the spine may be divided into two
classes-functional and structural -
though there seems to be an interme-
date or transitional stage between the
two. A functional lateral curve is a
postural one, of mild degree, in which
no actual change in bone has taken
place. In structural, or organic, lat
eral curve, certain changes have oc-
CURED in the bones of the spine and
the ribs. These may vary from the
mild case, in which these changes are
not extensive, to the severe form
where the alterations In the bones are
marked and the deformity is extreme.
The ordinary case Of round shout
ders" or round back" differs from
lateral curvature IN that the former is
simply an exaggeration Of the normal
forward and backward curves of the
spine, usually associated with an alb
normal forward position of the shout
der blades, while the latter is a bend
ing Of the spine to one or both sides.
In the ''hunch back" Of the tubercu-
lous spine, the condition is due to past
or present disease, while in lateral
curvature the changes in the bones are
not due to disease in the spine but
"Hunch back" and lateral curvature
may exist together, but they are very
different conditions.
Spine Is Twisted.
The bending to the side in lateral
curvature is invariably accompanied
by twisting OF the spine, and this
twisting is responsible for the projec-
ton backward or fullness Of one side
of the back. The position of this full
ness in relation to the lateral curve is
the distinguishing feature between
functional and organic lateral curva-
ture. 1t has been found that about Is
per cent Of school children are affected
with some form of lateral curvature,
the larger proportion of which is of
the functional type.
Lateral curvature may be due to any
one or more of many causes, and In
some cases it is impossible to point to
any particular cause. In general terms
1t may be the result of any condition
that causes the spine to be held habit
ually in curved position during the
growing period. Weak muscles and
certain yielding quality of bone are
conditions that favor it's development.
Among the many causes of lateral
curvature, besides malformation and
ed unequal vision and hearing, habit or
occupation, ricketts,, paralysis and EN-
pyema. If one or more of these causes
are present in child with weak
muscles and yielding bone, bad school
conditions, such as unsuitable chairs
or desks, improper lighting, long per-
iods of inactivity, and the like, will
naturally tend to aggravate the trouble
though it probably began before the
child entered school.
Since it is true that lateral curva-
ture may be associated with either
round shoulders or a fiat back, the
mother cannot use these conditions as
evidence for or against the existence
of lateral curvature. But she Cor the
dreSsmaker) may notice that the
child's shoulders are not the same
height, or that one projects farther
backward than the other, or that one
side of the back is fuller or more
prominent than the other or that the
hips are uneven. In all cases the
child's spine should be examined, and
since it is of great importance to
know whether the curve is functional
or structural, the examination should
be made by one trained to differenti-
ate between these two types. 1t is