Congenital spine deformities are defined as abnormal vertebral development occurring prior to birth. These malformations may be classified in several ways including:

• The area of the spine involved (cervical/neck or thoracic/midback or lumbar/low back)
• The pattern of the deformity (scoliosis, kyphosis or lordosis)
• The type of abnormal development

There are two major types of congenital spine deformities:

• Failure to divide into separate vertebrae
• Incomplete formation of the vertebrae
  

Most deformities have no known cause and are called idiopathic. In rare cases it is an inherited disorder.

These deformities are often discovered when an x-ray is taken for other health concerns. The deformity may also be discovered because the patient has a head tilt, uneven shoulders, uneven waistline or if the shoulders are not centered above the pelvis. Along with other congenital problems (kidney).

Treatment depends on the kind of deformity, the severity of the deformity, the age of the patient and the potential for the deformity to worsen. Treatment includes observation for curve progression, bracing to slow curve progression or surgery to stop curve progression.