A condition characterized by a lateral curvature of the spine is called what?

• A. Congenital scoliosis
• B. Klippel-Feil syndrome
• C. Sprengel's deformity
• D. Scoliosis in adolescence

Answer: (A)

A lateral curvature of the spine is called scoliosis. Congenital scoliosis is a form of scoliosis that is present at birth due to congenital vertebral malformations, so it directly names a condition involving a lateral spinal curve. The other options describe conditions or descriptors unrelated to the concept of a lateral spinal curvature: Klippel-Feil syndrome involves fused cervical vertebrae; Sprengel’s deformity refers to an abnormally high scapula; scoliosis in adolescence indicates the age of onset rather than a specific type of scoliosis.