The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol 57, Issue 2 206-215, Copyright © 1975 by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc
Evolution of treatment of paralytic scoliosis at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital
C Bonnett, JC Brown, J Perry, VL Nickel, T Walinski, L Brooks, M Hoffer, C Stiles and R Brooks
Between 1954 and 1970, 351 patients with severe paralytic scoliosis were
treated at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital. During this time the treatment
evolved through five stages: body cast alone, halo cast, halo cast with
buttons and traction wires, Harrington instrumentation, and finally
preoperative halo-femoral traction and Harrington instrumentation.
Coincident with this evolution, correction improved from 20 to 57 per cent,
the incidence of curve progression dropped from 38 to 0 per cent, and curve
extension decreased from 25 to 0 per cent, while postoperative recumbency
was reduced from one year to about three weeks. In addition, complications
changed, in general decreasing except for the rate of pseudarthrosis, which
remained essentially the same. Clinically significant hyperlordosis
involving the thoracic and lumbar spine was seen in sixteen patients who
had long fusions from the fourth cervical vertebra and above to the fourth
lumbar vertebra or the sacrum.