The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol 61, Issue 8 1151-1161, Copyright © 1979 by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc
Reconstructive surgery in the adult for failed scoliosis fusion
JL Cummine, JE Lonstein, JH Moe, RB Winter and DS Bradford
Fifty-nine adult patients were examined who had undergone previous spine
surgery for scoliosis but in whom pain (78 per cent), loss of correction
(68 per cent), or dyspnea (36 per cent) subsequently developed. Twenty-six
patients had idiopathic scoliosis, twenty-five had paralytic scoliosis
secondary to poliomyelitis, and eight had scoliosis secondary to
miscellaneous etiologies. A one-stage reconstructive procedure was
performed in sixteen patients and a two-stage procedure, in forty-three
patients. The two-stage procedure consisted of exposure of the spine and
multiple osteotomies, followed by two weeks of halofemoral traction to
obtain correction. The spine fusion was then extended, using Harrington
instrumentation to maintain correction. At an average follow-up of 3.3
years there was reduction of pain in 67 per cent of the patients and a
solid fusion in all but two. The complication rate was high (71 per cent),
the most important complications being pseudarthrosis, wound infection,
urinary tract infections, loss of lumbar lordosis, and pressure sores. The
mortality rate was 3.4 per cent. No patient became paraplegic at the
initial surgical procedure and early recognition and treatment of
pseudarthrosis will reduce the number of patients requiring this salvage
operation.