Pulmonary function in kyphoscoliosis.

This investigation was part of a study of kyphoscoliosis. Its objective was to determine the functional alterations in the chest cage and lung. These problems have, as we indicate in a brief review, already aroused considerable interest. However, our approach has differed from that of most previous workers in several respects. Our patients were both children (Caro and Gucker, 1958) and adults. We were thus able to compare these two groups and to make some assessment of the natural progress of the condition. Our investigations were centred on the mechanics of breathing, an aspect which seemed to us to be of the greatest significance. Finally, we have supplemented our measurements on patients with experimental studies on normal man (Caro, Butler, and DuBois, 1960; Butler, Caro, Alcala, and DuBois, 1960). From our findings we have attempted to describe both the nature and sequence of development of the underlying physiological disturbances.