What is scoliosis? Scoliosis is a sideways (lateral) curvature of the spine. It is known to appear with the growth spurt that occurs just before puberty. Causes can be congenital, neuromuscular, syndrome-related, or idiopathic. A majority of scoliosis cases are idiopathic. About 3% of adolescents have scoliosis. (1) Signs and Symptoms of Scoliosis On their