Question:medium
Progression of congenital scoliosis is least likely in which of the following vertebral anomalies:
Progression of congenital scoliosis is least likely in which of the following vertebral anomalies:
Show Hint
No growth plates means no uneven growth; the fully fused block vertebra stays put.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Fully segmented hemivertebra
- Wedge vertebra
- Block vertebra
- Unilateral unsegmented bar with hemivertebra
Show Solution
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
The whole point of congenital scoliosis is uneven growth: if one side of the spine lengthens faster than the other, the column bends and the curve keeps worsening as the child grows. So the key question for each anomaly is how lopsided its growth is. A block vertebra is a solid fusion of vertebrae with no working growth plates inside it and no side-to-side difference, so it simply does not grow asymmetrically and stays stable. Compare that with the others. A fully segmented hemivertebra is an extra wedge with live growth plates on both edges, so it keeps pushing one side longer and the curve climbs. A wedge vertebra also drives some asymmetric growth, though less aggressively. The unilateral unsegmented bar with a hemivertebra is the nastiest of all, because one side is locked and cannot grow while the opposite side carries an extra growing wedge, so the spine tilts rapidly. Lining them up from worst to best, the bar-plus-hemivertebra leads, then the segmented hemivertebra, then the wedge, and the block vertebra sits at the bottom as the least progressive. The question wants the least likely to progress.
\[\boxed{\text{Block vertebra}}\]
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