Share this article Share this article FAIRFAX, Va. and BALTIMORE, Feb. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Experts agree that numerous factors can contribute to the onset of scoliosis. While some cases are classified as syndromic (secondary to a neuromuscular or neurological disease) or congenital (due to malformation or separation of the vertebrae), 80% of cases are deemed idiopathic. A diagnosis of idiopathic scoliosis indicates that the spinal curvature occurs spontaneously with no known cause. Although the specific causes are unknown, scientific studies and history reveal that the condition tends to be familial, with a definite genetic component. (PRNewsfoto/National Scoliosis Center) Idiopathic scoliosis is particularly well suited for genetic study since it is most frequently discovered in childhood. Due to these early diagnoses, scientists can study data from several members of a family over a sufficient period of time to gain insight into inheritance (Wise, 2008). Several of these studies indicate that there is a higher incidence of spinal curvature in relatives of a scoliosis patient than in the general population (Zhu, 2015). In fact, the Scoliosis Research Society reports that approximately 30% of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients have some family history of the condition (Scoliosis Research Society, 2020).