CLEVELAND -- Scoliosis is most common in young teen girls, but sometimes, a spine starts curving long before a child is done growing.

NewsChannel5's Alicia Booth reported that a breakthrough procedure is helping doctors treat some of their youngest scoliosis patients.

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Scoliosis Treatment

As a young child growing up in Ashtabula, Lindsey Johnston's spine started to twist and curve out of control.

At the age of 7, she was diagnosed with scoliosis – which is very rare, and very dangerous, in a child that age.

"I didn't notice it, because I didn't have like pain or anything," said Johnston.

Doctors at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital tried to buy some time by correcting her curve with a brace. But by the time she was 9, doctors couldn't wait any longer, and had to operate on Johnston.

Pediatric orthopedic surgeon George Thompson, a pioneer in scoliosis treatment, inserted a growing rod into Johnston's back.

"As the child grows, the curve worsens ... then we go back, we lengthen the rod, the curve gets less," said Thompson.

Every six months, surgeons go in and extend the rod so the child's spine can continue to grow.

Then, when the young patients are finished with most of their growing, doctors can go in one final time and fuse the spine with titanium rods.

"We want the children to be as close to normal as they possibly can and right now, we're not getting them close to normal, but we're certainly altering their natural history had we left them untreated," said Thompson.

Johnston's final surgery was in August, and she is now back to most of her usual activities.

She is also helping people around her understand scoliosis a little better.

"I think they understand that your spine's crooked, but I don't think they understand they you can live a normal life," said Johnston.

Doctors at Rainbow are still perfecting the growing rod surgery.

To learn more about the latest information about scoliosis and the treatment option available locally, call University Hospitals at (888) 844-8447.

You can also click here to visit our "Oh My Aching ..." section.