Early-onset scoliosis (EOS) is characterized by the development of scoliosis before 10 years of age [1]. It can be caused by a multitude of etiologies and is generally classified as idiopathic, congenital, syndromic, or neurogenic [2]. The early-onset of the scoliosis can have serious consequences since it often comes with a greater risk of scoliosis progression compared with late-onset scoliosis and can subsequently affect cardio-pulmonary development [3]. Old studies on the natural course of untreated EOS reported that patients can experience serious health problems due to heart and lung limitations [4–8].

Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is the most common cause of cervical spinal cord dysfunction in adults and the result of chronic degenerative changes of the cervical spine. The compression of the spinal cord can lead to ischemia, inflammation, and neuronal apoptosis with a consequent impairment of the neurological function. Gait impairment is one of the most frequent signs of DCM.

Civilian gunshot wounds to the spine are an increasingly common injury in the USA. A majority of the available research is focused on a military population suffering high energy missile injury. Minimal research has focused on civilian ballistic injuries to the lumbosacral spine as the available studies focus on the entire spine due to limited numbers.

An important factor for the prognosis of spinal surgery is the perioperative use of opioids. However, the relationship is not clear.

Little information is available about the minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) for objective physical measurements in people with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS).