The Longitudinal Effects of Posterior Spinal Fusion with Derotation on Axial Deformity in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the change in angle of trunk rotation (ATR), axial vertebral rotation (AVR), and body surface rotation (BSR) in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) undergoing posterior spinal fusion (PSF) with en-bloc derotation across multiple postoperative visits. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Previous research has documented ATR, AVR, and BSR correction for AIS patients after surgery. However, there is a lack of evidence on the sustainability of this correction over time. METHODS: This was a retrospective study from a single-center prospective surface topographic registry of patients with AIS, age 11-20 at time of surgery, who underwent PSF with en-bloc derotation. Patients with previous spine surgery were excluded. ATR was measured with a scoliometer, AVR through EOS radiographic imaging, and BSR via surface topographic scanning, Data collection occurred at: preoperative, six-week, three-month, six-month, one-year, and two-year postoperative visits. BSR and AVR were tracked at the preoperative apical vertebral level, and the level with maximum deformity, at each respective timepoint. Generalized estimating equations models were used for statistical analysis. Covariates included age, sex, and body mass index. RESULTS: 49 patients (73.4% female, mean age 14.6±2.2 years, mean preoperative coronal curve angle 57.9°±8.5, and 67% major thoracic) were evaluated. ATR correction was significantly improved at all postoperative timepoints and there was no significant loss of correction. AVR Max and AVR Apex were significantly improved at all timepoints but there was a significant loss of correction for AVR Apex between the six-week and one-year visit (P=0.032). BSR Max achieved significant improvement at the three-month visit. BSR Apex was significantly improved at the three-month and one-year visit. CONCLUSION: ATR and AVR demonstrated significant axial plane correction at two-years postoperative in patients undergoing PSF for AIS. BSR did not maintain significant improvement by the two-year visit.

Novel Surface Topographic Assessment of Lung Volume and Pulmonary Function Tests in Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Preliminary Study.

OBJECTIVE: Severe spinal deformity results in restrictive pulmonary disease from thoracic distortions and lung-volume limitations. Though spirometry and body plethysmography are widely accepted tests for pulmonary function tests (PFTs), they are time-consuming and require patient compliance. This study investigates whether surface topographic [surface topography (ST)] measurements of body volume difference (BVD) and torso volume difference between maximum inhale and exhale correlate to values determined on PFTs. METHODS: This study included patients with idiopathic scoliosis and thoracic/thoracolumbar curves ≥40 degrees. Patients received ST scans, clinical examinations, and EOS biplanar radiographs on the same day. PFTs were performed within 3 months of ST/radiographic analysis. Univariate linear regression analysis was used to examine relationships between BVD, PFT values, and mean curves. RESULTS: Sixteen patients (14.6 ± 2.2 y, 69% females) with idiopathic scoliosis and mean thoracic/thoracolumbar curves of 62 degrees ± 15˚ degrees (45 degrees to 93 degrees) were assessed. BVD displayed statistically high-positive positive correlations with forced vital capacity ( R = 0.863, P < 0.0001), forced expiratory volume in 1 second ( R = 0.870, P < 0.001), vital capacity ( R = 0.802, P < 0.0001), and TLC ( R = 0.831, P < 0.0001. Torso volume difference showed similarly high positive correlations to forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, vital capacity, and TLC, but not residual volume. No correlations emerged between the mean thoracic/thoracolumbar curve and BVD or PFT values. CONCLUSION: This study strongly endorses further investigation into ST scanning as an alternative to traditional PFTs for assessing pulmonary volumes. The noncontact and noninvasive nature of ST scanning presents a valuable alternative method for analyzing thoracic volume, particularly beneficial for patients unable to cooperate with standard PFTs. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II-prognostic.

Utilizing robotic-assisted navigation for pelvic instrumentation in pediatric patients with neuromuscular scoliosis: a technical note and case series.

Pelvic fixation is commonly used in correcting pelvic obliquity in pediatric patients with neuromuscular scoliosis and in preserving stability in adult patients with lumbosacral spondylolisthesis or instances of traumatic or osteoporotic fracture. S2-alar-iliac screws are commonly used in this role and have been proposed to reduce implant prominence when compared to traditional pelvic fusion utilizing iliac screws. The aim of this technical note is to describe a technique for robotically navigated placement of S2-alar-iliac screws in pediatric patients with neuromuscular scoliosis, which (a) minimizes the significant exposure needed to identify a bony start point, (b) aids in instrumenting the irregular anatomy often found in patients with neuromuscular scoliosis, and (c) allows for greater precision than traditional open or fluoroscopic techniques. We present five cases that underwent posterior spinal fusion to the pelvis with this technique that demonstrate the safety and efficacy of this procedure.

Analysis of 5,070 consecutive pedicle screws placed utilizing robotically assisted surgical navigation in 334 patients by experienced pediatric spine deformity surgeons: surgical safety and early perioperative complications in pediatric posterior spinal fusion.

PURPOSE: This study evaluates the intraoperative and short-term complications associated with robotically assisted pedicle screw placement in pediatric posterior spinal fusion (PSF) from three surgeons at two different institutions. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 334 pediatric patients who underwent PSF with robotic-assisted navigation at 2 institutions over 3 years (2020-2022). Five thousand seventy robotically placed screws were evaluated. Data collection focused on intraoperative and early postoperative complications with minimum 30-day follow-up. Patients undergoing revision procedures were excluded. RESULTS: Intraoperative complications included 1 durotomy, 6 patients with neuromonitoring alerts not related to screw placement, and 62 screws (1.2%) with documented pedicle breaches, all of which were revised at time of surgery. By quartile, pedicle breaches statistically declined from first quartile to fourth quartile (1.8% vs. 0.56%, p < 0.05). No breach was associated with neuromonitoring changes or neurological sequelae. No spinal cord or vascular injuries occurred. Seventeen postoperative complications occurred in eleven (3.3%) of patients. There were five (1.5%) patients with unplanned return to the operating room. CONCLUSION: Robotically assisted pedicle screw placement was safely and reliably performed on pediatric spinal deformity by three surgeons across two centers, demonstrating an acceptable safety profile and low incidence of unplanned return to the operating room.

Exploring Correlations Between Pain and Deformity in Idiopathic Scoliosis With Validated Self-reported Pain Scores, Radiographic Measurements, and Trunk Surface Topographic Measurements.

BACKGROUND: Up to 75% of patients with idiopathic scoliosis (IS) report back pain, but the exact contributors are unclear. This study seeks to assess how pain correlates with demographics, radiographic and surface topographic (ST) measurements, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in patients with IS. METHODS: Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pain Interference (PI) and Scoliosis Research Society revised (SRS-22r) pain domain from an IRB approved prospectively collected registry containing patients 11 to 21 years old with IS were correlated (Spearman coefficients) with measurements from whole-body EOS radiography and ST scanning, PROMIS 1.0 PROMs, Trunk Appearance Perception Scale (TAPS), and SRS-22r domains. SRS-22r and PROMIS-PI were also compared between different sex, scoliosis severities, and primary curve locations with Mann-Whitney U or Kruskal-Wallis tests, and if significant differences were found, included with the 5 highest univariate correlated variables into stepwise multivariate linear regression models ( P <0.05 to enter, P >0.1 to remove) predicting SRS-22r pain and PROMIS-PI. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-nine patients (14.5 ± 2.0 y, body mass index 20.6 ± 4.1 kg/m 2 , 96 (64%) female, mean major coronal curve 40 ± 19 deg, range: 10 deg, 83 deg) reported mean PROMIS-PI of 42.2 ± 10.0 and SRS-22r pain of 4.4 ± 0.6. SRS-22r self-image was the most correlated variable with both SRS-22r pain (rho=0.519) and PROMIS-PI (rho=-0.594). Five variables, none of which were ST or radiographic measures, strongly predicted SRS pain domain (R=0.711, R2=0.505, N=138). Two variables (SRS-22r self-image and SRS-22r function) were utilized by a model correlated with PROMIS-PI (R=0.687, R2=0.463, N=124). CONCLUSIONS: SRS-22r function and self-image domains were more strongly correlated with SRS-22r pain and PROMIS-PI than any radiographic or ST measurements. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II-retrospective study.

Changes in height, weight, and body mass index after posterior spinal fusion in juvenile and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Purpose: Posterior spinal fusion for idiopathic scoliosis is known to increase spinal height, but the impacts on weight and resulting body mass index are unknown. This study assesses body mass index, weight, and height percentile changes over time after posterior spinal fusion for idiopathic scoliosis. Methods: Body mass index, weight, and height age- and sex-adjusted percentiles for patients with idiopathic scoliosis undergoing posterior spinal fusion between January 2016 and August 2022 were calculated based on growth charts from the Centers for Disease Control for Disease Control and compared to preoperative values at 2 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years. The data were analyzed for normality with a Shapiro-Wilk test, and percentiles were compared with the Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Results: On average, 12.1 ± 2.3 levels were fused in 269 patients 14.4 ± 1.9 years, and percentiles for body mass index, weight, and height preoperatively were 55.5 ± 29.4%, 57.5 ± 28.9%, and 54.6 ± 30.4%, respectively. Body mass index and weight percentiles decreased at 2 weeks (-10.7%, p < 0.001; -4.6%, p < 0.001, respectively) and 3 months (-6.9%, p < 0.001; -3.2%, p < 0.001, respectively) postoperatively. Postoperative weight loss at 2 weeks averaged 2.25 ± 3.09% of body weight (0.98 ± 4.5 kg), normalizing by 3 months. Body mass index percentile normalized at 1 year, but height percentile was increased at 2 weeks (2.42 ± 1.72 cm, p < 0.001) and through 2 years. Conclusion: Despite initial height increase due to deformity correction, acute postoperative weight and body mass index percentile decreases postoperatively normalize by 1-year body mass index percentile. Physicians may benefit from utilizing this information when discussing the postoperative course of posterior spinal fusion with idiopathic scoliosis. Level of evidence: 4, Retrospective Case Series.