Deformity

Kyphosis

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Signs and Symptoms

Kyphosis describes the exaggerated curve of the spine that results in a rounded or hunched back. Kyphosis may develop for several reasons. Postural kyphosis in children and adolescents may be related to habit and posture rather than underlying spinal deformity. In contrast, structural kyphosis refers to a round-back posture that is not reversible by paying attention to your posture and making an effort to sit and stand up straight. In adolescents, structural kyphosis may be caused by initial spine development with a rounded shape that is made worse by further growth. In the elderly, compression fractures characteristically result in loss of height and kyphotic deformity.

Symptoms of kyphosis include:

• Back pain
• Difficulty standing with an upright posture
• Early fatigue to the back and legs

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated June 20, 2007