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Scoliosis can occur before age 10, but it's rare and is often caused by a condition such as a spinal tumor, congenital heart disease, or a genetic disorder. Scoliosis that appears before the teen years may need many tests to make the diagnosis. The most common form of scoliosis is idiopathic, meaning it has no known cause. This form occurs during puberty and is relatively easy to diagnose. Only a small portion of cases need a lot of treatment. Mild idiopathic scoliosis occurs in about 1 in 50 to 1 in 25 teens. More severe curvature occurs much less often.

Structural scoliosis can be caused by:

• Nervous system diseases such as cerebral palsy, poliomyelitis, or muscular dystrophy
• Birth defects such as hemivertebra, in which one side of a vertebra fails to form normally before birth
• Injury
• Certain infections
• Tumors such as those caused by neurofibromatosis, a birth defect sometimes linked to benign tumors on the spinal column)
• Metabolic diseases
• Connective tissue disorders
• Rheumatic diseases
• Unknown factors (idiopathic scoliosis)