Idiopathic scoliosis as a multifactorial disease: systematic review of current literature

Objective. To analyze the current literature dedicated to the etiopathogenesis and development of idiopathic scoliosis.Material and Methods. The analysis includes studies on the etiological factors of idiopathic scoliosis. The search was carried out on eLibrary, PubMed and Google Scholar databases. The review includes research and experimental studies, as well as systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The exclusion criterion is a theoretical work without practical research/experiment to confirm the theory. The depth of analysis is 30 years.Results. Out of 456 papers on the research topic, 153 were selected as meeting the inclusion/exclusion criteria. The main theories of the occurrence of idiopathic scoliosis are identified: genetic, neurogenic, theory of bone and muscle tissue defects, biomechanical, hormonal, evolutionary, and the theory of environmental and lifestyle influences.Conclusions. The term “idiopathic scoliosis” combines a number of diseases with different etiopathogenetic mechanisms of development. Idiopathic scoliosis has a polygenic inheritance. Different genes are responsible for its occurrence in different populations, and the progression mechanisms are triggered by various epigenetic factors. Bone and muscle tissue defects, pathology of the central nervous system, biomechanical disturbances, hormonal and biochemical abnormalities may play a dominant role in some cases of idiopathic scoliosis.