Grab an amber dot and drag it left or right to bend the spine.
0°

Largest Cobb Angle

0° Straight spine Normal · not scoliosis
Severity: Not scoliosis
Typical management: —
Secondary-problem risk: Low

Grab a handle and pull it to one side to create a curve. Pull two handles opposite ways for a double (S-shaped) curve.

<20°Mild · watch
20–40°Brace if growing
40–50°Surgery discussed
50°+Surgery usual

Stylized educational illustration — not a diagnostic measurement.

What may be noticed as the curve increases

Primary

Directly caused by the curve itself — mostly changes in shape and posture.

    Secondary

    Knock-on effects that can develop over time, usually only with larger curves.

      Important: most people with smaller curves have no symptoms at all, and back pain is common in teenagers whether or not they have scoliosis. Serious heart or lung problems are rare and generally occur only with curves far larger than shown here. This shows what can happen — not what will.

      Thresholds informed by the Scoliosis Research Society, AAFP adolescent idiopathic scoliosis review, and Kempen et al. (Spine J, 2021).