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The scientific term for this defomity is scoliosis or broken back desease. I did some research on it a few years ago for a barbel catchers article, although it didnt really prove anything conclusive. It did however throw up some interesting potential links with the agricultural chemical kepone and a deficiency in vitamin c. I have included the relevant paragraphs from my article:

"As you would expect there are a few trains of thought on the subject of deformed barbel, including damage being caused by netting, spawning and mis-handling. There is certainly a strong case for these things being attributable in some situations, however, there are also other equally credible reasons caused by other environmental problems.

The first is the known link (not known by me I might add) between the organochlorine pesticide Kepone (a synthetic organic compound) and broken back disease in other fish. I say other fish, because the research available is not conducted with barbel in mind, however, It is relevant to freshwater species. Kepone along with other organochlorine pesticides such as DDT and Dieldrin, were used extensively in the control of termites until recently. They are now banned in the UK, although in the time of their use since World War 2, it is very probable that leachate from agricultural farmland into our waterways will have had some effect on older fish and other aquatic populations. Kepone is thought to effect the central nervous system, muscular junctions and metabolism, causing muscular hemorrhage, fractured vertebrae and sometimes death. The fractured vertebrae, being one possible cause of the broken back deformity seen in barbel.

Another reason for broken back disease in freshwater fish appears to be the link to a deficiency in ascorbic acid or vitamin c. In the same way that humans cannot store vitamin c fish cannot synthesize ascorbic acid and if there are limitations on the availability of aquatic plants or substances containing it, fish will suffer. Areas that spring to mind are the reaches that are most effected by depth, flood and attrition where weed and plant growth are restricted. In addition to its immunisation properties, ascorbic acid assists in the synthesis of the protein amino acid collagen, which in turn provides strength and elasticity. Insufficient collagen results in a collapse of the vertebral column and hence we have another reasonably sound theory on why we might find barbel with a deformed back."

Wurzel