Bilateral biopsies from the erector spinae muscles were taken during surgery from 10 females and two males (mean age 14, range 13-17 years) with thoracal scoliosis for 6 years (range 2-11 years). The biopsies were analysed for myoglobin (MYO), citrate synthase (CS) and creatine kinase MB (CK-MB). The severity of scioliosis was estimated by Cobb's angle, the greater the angle the more severe the disease. The convex/concave side ratio (CVX/CCV) was for CS 1.3 +/- 0.4 (P less than 0.01), CK 0.9 +/- 0.1 (P less than 0.05), CK-MB 1.6 +/- 0.4 (P less than 0.01) and for MYO 1.1 +/- 0.2 (P greater than 0.05). No significant correlations were found between the CVX/CCV for CS, CK or CK-MB on the one hand and the Cobb's angle on the other. The CVX/CCV for MYO was, however, directly related to the angle (r = 0.80, P less than 0.01). For the lower range of angles (less than or equal to 59 degrees) the CVX/CCV for MYO was below unity (0.88, P greater than 0.05) and for the larger angles (greater than 59 degrees) above unity (1.23, P less than 0.05). In conclusion, a dissociation in the adaptive response of m. erector spinae in scoliosis between mitochondrial enzyme and myoglobin content was demonstrated.