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THE SURGICAL TREATMENT OF SCHEUERMANN KYPHOSIS

  • Cüneyt MİRZANLI
  • Mustafa CANİKLİOĞLU
  • Nikola AZAR
  • Mahmut KARAMEHMETOĞLU
  • Murat MERT

J Turk Spinal Surg 1993;4(3):106-108

Scheuermann's Kyphosis which is one of the most common seen thoracic and thoracolumbar structural ky-phosis may efficiently be treated and of which progression may be stopped by conservative treatment methods. Neverthless, pain and cosmetic appearance of deformity refer to orthopaedist to choose surgical modalities.

14 patients (8 males, 6 females) have been treated surgically betvveen dated October 1991 and May 1994 in SSK İstanbul Hospital the 2nd Orthopaedic and Traumatology department. The average follow-up period was 17 months (6-30 months), and average age vvas 16.8years (12-36 years).

Occurance of unacceptable cosmetic deformity and pain were the criterias for the surgical treatment in our series. İn 9 cases the posterior instrumentation and fusion, in 3 cases the anterior reiease and posterior instru-mentation and fusion, and in 2 cases one or two level posterior wedge osteotomy were performed.

Preoperatively, average kyphosis angle using Cobb method was 78 degrees and average postoperative cor-rection was 38 degrees. Fusion vvas detected approximately vvithin 26 vveeks. More than 10 degrees correction loss vvas measured in the last follow-up radiographic control of 4 cases. Dislodgment of hooks vvhich is placed in upper end vertebrae in 2 cases, and loosening andpull-out of screvvs in iovver vertebrae in 2 cases vvho vvere op-era'ted later for revision.

The short term follow-up results shovved that in skeletally immature patients, the posterior instrumentation and fusion is sufficient for surgical correction of deformity; in skeletally mature cases, since deformity is rigid, the com-bined anterior and posterior fusion operations should be performed. When the fusion level is selected, the prob-lems in maintaining and preservation of correction should be kept in mind.

Keywords: Scheuermann kyphosis, surgical treatment