A concept of idiopathic scoliosis deformities as imperfect torsion(s).

Scoliosis is a complex three-dimensional deformity. With continued improvement in spinal implant design, the options for corrective load application have increased. Visualization of the scoliosis deformity as a torsion or torsions, similar to an elongated helical line, and integration of this visualization with current deformity classification have proven useful in developing instrumentation sequences addressing scoliosis as a three-dimensional deformity. These instrumentation sequences, which have been evolving since 1989, have been applied in more than 150 patients who show improved deformity correction without serious complications.