Scoliosis: Life, Support & Friends

Authors: Angelos Kaspiris, Theodoros B Grivas, Hans-Rudolf Weiss and Deborah Turnbull Published By: ScoliosisJournal Background In view of the limited data available on the conservative treatment of patients with congenital scoliosis (CS), early surgery is suggested in mild cases with formation failures. Patients with segmentation failures will not benefit from conservative treatment. The purpose of this review is to identify the mid- or long-term results of spinal fusion surgery in patients with congenital scoliosis. Methods Retrospective and prospective studies were included, reporting on the outcome of surgery in patients with congenital scoliosis. Studies concerning a small numbers of cases treated conservatively were included too. We analyzed mid-term (5 to 7 years) and long-term results (7 years or more), both as regards the maintenance of the correction of scoliosis and the safety of instrumentation, the early and late complications of surgery and thei...

Join our support group to meet other families and patients living with Scoliosis Scoliosis Journal report about the surgical treatment of Scoliosis in Smith-Magenis Syndrome Authors:  Athanasios I Tsirikos , Alexander D.L Baker and Claire McClean Introduction Smith-Magenis syndrome is a rare genetic condition associated with scoliosis in approximately 30% of cases. There is limited information in the literature on the treatment of scoliosis and the surgical outcome in patients with this condition. Characteristic features of the syndrome, such as the presence of congenital heart and renal disease, inherent immunodeficiency, as well as severe behavioural disorders may complicate the surgical treatment of patients. Case Presentation We present the case of an 11-year-old British Caucasian girl with Smith-Magenis syndrome who developed a severe, progressive thoracic and lumbar scoliosis measuring 85degrees and 80degrees, respectively. She had no cardiac or renal anomalies. Brace t...

Lung function asymmetry in children with congenital and infantile scoliosis Clinical Study Authors: Gregory Redding, Kit Song, Steve Inscore, Eric Effmann and Robert Campbell Abstract Background context Progressive scoliosis alters lung function by reducing chest wall compliance and excursion and rotating intrathoracic contents, producing an increasingly asymmetric lung size. The effect of this distortion on regional lung perfusion and ventilation has not been described in children with congenital and infantile forms of scoliosis. The severity of scoliosis is often described by the Cobb angle of the spine, but the relationship between Cobb angle and lung function asymmetry between concave and convex lungs has not been described in this group of children. Purpose To describe the frequency of asymmetric lung perfusion and ventilation among children with congenital or infantile thoracic scoliosis before surgical treatment and the relationship between Cobb angle and asymmetry of lung funct...