Straight facts about curved backs - Harrington rod fusion with spinous process wiring its effects in the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis [abstract]

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Harrington Rod Fusion with Process Wiring on scoliosis. A retrospective review of records and radiographs of twenty-one scoliosis patients, all citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, with single curve, idiopathic scoliosis was conducted. They received treatment with Harrington Rod Fusion with Spinous Process Wiring at the Princess Elizabeth Centre. Radiographs were used to determine the correction percentages at post-op and at follow-up between two and three years later. Of the twenty-one surgical cases, seventeen (81 percent) were female and four (19 percent) male. The mean post-op correction percentage was 46.3 percent, compared with a mean follow-up percentage of 28.6 percent, showing a significant decrease between post-op and follow-up. A majority of patients (90.5 percent) had a reduction in curve magnitude after surgery, whereas 85.7 percent showed reduction at follow-up. The average duration of surgery was 140 minutes with a mean blood loss of 831ml. There was no significant difference in correction percentage between thoracic and thoracolumbar curves. This procedure is an effective surgical treatment for idiopathic scoliosis. It is equally effective in treating thoracic and thoracolumbar curves. This low cost method affords the patient curve reduction with minimal risk. (AU)