The burden of spinal deformity includes healthcare costs, pain management, therapy, alternative care, and lost workdays due to pain. The total cost of spinal deformity is difficult to determine because hospital charges are the only expenditures available in the databases. In addition, not all persons suffering from spinal deformity seek medical care.

Deformity of the adult spine includes patients with curvature of the spine (scoliosis) of varying degrees caused or impacted by degenerative disc and joint disease. Adult scoliosis may be the result of persistent or progressive deformity since adolescence or a new, de novo, onset of deformity resulting from degeneration or aging of the spine. Degenerative scoliosis accounts for most scoliosis cases in older populations aged 65 years and older, as reflected in the low proportion of older patients with a diagnosis of primary idiopathic scoliosis.

The impact of race and ethnicity on the etiology and management of musculoskeletal conditions requires more extensive investigation. The influence of race and ethnicity on the incidence of musculoskeletal conditions may be due to genetics along with difference in activities participated in. Genetic differences, however, have not been well defined in the vast majority of conditions. Clarifying this may lead to advancements in the management of certain conditions including osteoporosis, multiple myeloma, and spinal deformities.