4th INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON PHOSPHATE AND OTHER MINERALS

Strasbourg, France – June 22-24, 1979

ABSTRACT

NUTRITION AND THE BACK

A hypothesis on the etiology and pathogenesis of idiopathic scoliosis.

H.Bergengren, Department of pathology,University of Umeå, Sweden.

1. Adolescents´ diet is often found lacking in protein and thus also in minerals.
2. By feeding such a diet to laboratory animals rickets and scoliosis were produced.
3. Common to scoliosis and the hypophosphataemic rickets-osteomalacia complex are osteopeni, osteoporosis and muscle atrophy.
4. Common to scoliosis and protein deficiency diseases are negative nitrogen balance, low serum albumin, increased growth hormone, increased excretion of amino acid, disturbed amino acid balance.
5. Disturbed protein metabolism also affects the collagen which is enfeebled so that the ligaments of the vertebra column give way to the weight of the upper body.
6. Scoliosis starts with a latent period which can be diagnosticated, permitting treatment that can arrest the process.

Table1 1: Etiologic and pathologic parallels between the rickets-osteomalacia complex and scoliosis (with kyphosis and lordosis).

Table 2: Pathologic changes in the structure and metabolism of the protein deficiency and idiopathic scoliosis.

Harald Bergengren

Department of Pathology

University of Umeå

S-901 87 UMEÅ

Sweden