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- Talk
- 15/09/2021
- Canada
Scoliosis Flexibility Correlates With Post-Operative Outcomes Following Growth Friendly Surgery
Description
This presentation by Riley Bowker focuses on the study of how scoliosis flexibility correlates with post-operative outcomes for patients undergoing growth-friendly surgery. The study aims to determine the reliability of preoperative spinal flexibility as a predictor of surgical outcomes, specifically in early onset scoliosis (EOS), defined by a spinal curvature greater than 10 degrees before the age of 10. The presentation outlines the study methodology, which involved a retrospective review of patients who had undergone growth-friendly surgery, analyzing flexibility radiographs taken preoperatively to assess the spinal flexibility that may relate to surgical corrections.
Key findings reveal that patients with greater preoperative flexibility showed a fair correlation with post-operative scoliosis correction, particularly within idiopathic and neuromuscular scoliosis patients, though no significant correlation was found in congenital or syndromic patients. Moreover, the data showed that lower preoperative flexibility was associated with a higher risk of post-operative complications and that those with flexibility under 30% carried a greater risk.
Bowker concludes that flexibility should be an important consideration when deciding the timing for growth-friendly surgery in children with early onset scoliosis and invites questions from the audience.