Preventing Fusion Mass Shift Avoids Postoperative Distal Curve Adding-on in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study illustrates the substantial utility of the fulcrum-bending radiograph in determining fusion levels that can avoid fusion mass shift; thereby, underlining its importance in designing personalized surgical strategies for patients with scoliosis. Preoperatively, determining fusion levels by fulcrum-bending radiographs to avoid residual fusion mass shift is imperative. Intraoperatively, any fusion mass shift should be corrected to avoid distal adding-on, reoperation, and elevated healthcare costs.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, prognostic study.
PMID: 28050819 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research - January 2, 2017 Category: Orthopaedics Authors: Shigematsu H, Cheung JP, Bruzzone M, Matsumori H, Mak KC, Samartzis D, Luk KD Tags: Clin Orthop Relat Res Source Type: research