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Doctors deliver talks on spine curvature, arthritis

Posted on 07 January 2015

KUCHING: Scoliosis, a disorder that causes an abnormal curve of the
spine or backbone, appears to affect adolescent girls much more than
boys.

According to Orthopaedic Spine surgeon from Sarawak General
Hospital Dr Wong Chung Chek, Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) is
the most common spinal abnormality in children with a ratio of four
girls for every one boy.

“It is painless and usually present as
curvature of the thoracic spine,” he shared during a Health Talk session
held at Pustaka Negeri Sarawak yesterday.

The talk was one of the many events and activities organised in conjunction with Pustaka’s 15th anniversary celebration.

Scoliosis
can be easily identified, Dr Wong said, by the Adam’s Forward Bending
test to identify any abnormalities of the spinal curve, like increased
or decreased upper back.

To take the test, the patient needs to
bend forward, starting at the waist until the back comes in a horizontal
plane, with the feet together, arms hanging and the knees in extension.

“The
causes of spinal deformity vary including congenital, traumatic,
syndromic, idiopathic, neuromuscular and post-infection,” he said.

Dr Wong said AIS could develop in children between the ages of 11 and 14 during the growth spurt of puberty.

“However,
not all curves require treatment,” he said, adding that it depends on
the potential progression of the curve, severity, location and size.

“The scoliosis may increase or worsen when the person grows taller,” he added.

However,
he emphasised that the likelihood of an idiopathic scoliosis worsening
was very unlikely unless the curve was around 50 degrees or greater.

As
such, Dr Wong pointed out that it was important to get proper diagnosis
to determine the risk of curve progression and guide patients to get
the best form of treatment.

“Treatment is aimed at stopping curve
progression and correcting deformity as severe curves carry a risk that
the lung and heart function may become affected,” he explained.

Treatment options include observation, bracing and/or surgery.

“Surgery
is only recommended for curves of 45 degress and greater or when the
bracing treatment fail to arrest, slow down or improve the progression
of curvature,” he said.

In brief, he added that milder deformity
can be treated with brace while surgery will be needed to treat larger
deformity and to prevent the worsening of scoliosis.

Meanwhile,
Consultant Orthopaedic and Adult Reconstructive surgeon from Kuching
Specialist Hospital Dr Lee Woo Guan shared that arthritis is a form of
join disorder that involves the inflamation of the one or more joints.

“There
are many types of arthritis including wear and tear of cartilage known
as osteoarthritis as well as those associated with inflamation such as
rheumatoid arthritis,” he explained.

The causes of arthritis, Dr Lee said, include injuries, hereditary factors and infections.

As such, he advised that earlier and accurate diagnosis was important to help prevent irreversible damage and disability.

He also disclosed recent advances in the treatment of common joint problems.

In
the most severe cases, Dr Lee emphasised that surgical operations would
be required for partial or total joint replacement or resurfacing to
preserve the joint.

“For mild cases, we can look into advanced
non-surgical interventions with injections, non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy or occupational therapy, orthoses
and other aids,” he said.

Dr Lee advised people to watch out for the symptoms including pain, stiffness and limited function of joints.

“People with arthritis may experience difficulty going up and down the stairs or fatigue
over short distance walk,” he added.