Segmentary kyphotic deformities, not uncommonly caused by Pott's disease, trauma, and congenital kyphos-coliosis, are clasically treatedby conventional surgical methods: i.e. combined anterior andposterior approaches. For these hyperkyphotic deformities, one cession posterior wedge osteotomy is an alternative method to classical ones. Twentyfour patients (13 men, 11 women, mean age 18.3 years) diagnosed as having segmantary kyphotic deformities were operated using posterior wedge osteotomy techniques from May 1991 to May 1994 in SSK İstanbul Hospital llnd Orthopaedics and Traumatology Clinics. Longest follow-up period vvas 32 months, shortest vvas 6 months (mean 18 months). Preoperative mean kyphosis angle vvas 68 degrees, and postoperative vvas 21 degrees. Fusion vvas detected radiologically in ali cases, vvithin 6 months. Evaluation of three patients showed 15 degree correction loss in whom anterior fusion vvas delayed problems related to instrumentation material vvas not seen. Clinical assesment of the patients according to Deniş Pain and Work Scale shovved excellent and good re-sults except of one patient in whom complete paraplegia developed in early postoperative period. Improvement of neurologic deficit of the patient vvas up to Frankel D level in latest follow-up. With proper and experienced surgical technique posterior wedge osteotomy provides necessary correction and is effective as combined classical method is. Furthermore, being one cession operation makes it more advantagious both for the patient and the sur-geon.

Keywords: Kyphosis, vvedge osteotomy.