What deviation in the frontal plane should be expected in a patient with left thoracic scoliosis?

In the case of left thoracic scoliosis, the primary characteristic is a lateral curvature of the spine that bends towards the left side (the concavity of the curve) and is often accompanied by rotation of the vertebrae. In this specific form of scoliosis, the left side of the rib cage (the concave side) tends to be more compressed, while the right side (the convex side) becomes more expanded.

When evaluating shoulder levels, the left shoulder, which is on the concave side of the scoliosis, will frequently sit higher than the right shoulder, which is on the convex side. This occurs due to the structural changes in the rib cage and spine positioning, leading to asymmetry where the thoracic spine and rib cage adjust to maintain balance in the presence of the curve. Hence, it is expected that a patient with left thoracic scoliosis will present with the left shoulder positioned higher than the right one.

Such deviations are critical for clinical assessment, diagnosis, and understanding the patient’s functional limitations or compensatory mechanisms.