Jane M. Wick RN, Surgical Services nurse at Shriners Hospitals for Children Portland has authored, along with Julie Konze, RN, Kelly Alexander, RN, and Chris Sweeney, RN, an important nursing education article which was published in the September 2009 AORN Journal. The article, titled “Infantile and Juvenile Scoliosis: The Crooked Path to Diagnosis and Treatment” is a thorough overview of the classification and treatment of scoliosis in children.  

Early onset scoliosis is a complex issue requiring a dedicated treatment approach during the childhood years.  The published article describes the range of treatment options and stresses the role of the child’s family and the multidisciplinary healthcare team in the long term approach to treating scoliosis. 

The Shriners Hospitals for Children Portland has a team of expert healthcare providers who are skilled at treating the full range of scoliosis in children and adolescents.  In addition to our pediatric orthopaedic surgeons, an integral part of the medical care team includes care coordination, surgical nurses, orthotists and physical therapists.  Treatment of scoliosis is very individualized; depending on the age of onset for the scoliosis, the type of scoliosis and underlying healthcare conditions. 

This article resulted from a coordinated effort by the staff at Shriners Hospitals for Children Portland.  In addition to the four authors, staff physicians Ivan Krajbich MD, Charles  D’Amato MD, and Larry Jacobson MD provided their expertise and assistance with writing the article.