In scoliosis, the curvature is evident primarily in what plane of the body?

Scoliosis is characterized by an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine, which is most visible when examining the body in the frontal plane. The frontal plane divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) sections, allowing for the observation of side-to-side deviations. In individuals with scoliosis, the curvature typically leads to a noticeable asymmetry in the shoulder height, rib cage, and waistline when viewed from the front. That's why the primary characteristic of scoliosis is assessed in this plane.

The other planes deal with different types of movements or orientations. For instance, the sagittal plane concerns forward and backward movements and divides the body into left and right sections. The transverse plane relates to rotational movements and divides the body into upper and lower parts, while the horizontal plane is synonymous with the transverse plane in a typical context but is not the specific reference in a scoliosis assessment.