Simultaneous anterior and posterior hemivertebra excision.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Orthopedics
• Spinal Surgery
• Congenital Deformities

Background:

• Congenital scoliosis due to hemivertebra presents a complex surgical challenge.
• Existing treatments include in situ spinal epiphysiodesis, in situ fusion, or hemivertebra excision.
• A refined surgical approach is needed for optimal deformity correction and patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a simultaneous anterior and posterior resection technique for congenital scoliosis secondary to hemivertebra.
• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of this surgical approach in a cohort of pediatric patients.
• To report the degree of deformity correction and complications associated with this method.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of 11 patients with congenital scoliosis secondary to hemivertebra who underwent simultaneous anterior and posterior resection.
• Surgical technique involved anterior and posterior resection of the hemivertebra with posterior instrumentation for deformity correction.
• Patient data included age at surgery, preoperative and postoperative curve measurements, and follow-up assessments.

Main Results:

• The mean age of patients at surgery was 18 months, with an average preoperative curve of 47 degrees.
• Immediate postoperative curves averaged 13 degrees, improving to an average of 14 degrees at a mean follow-up of 28 months.
• One patient experienced transient leg weakness; no long-term neurological injuries or other surgical complications were reported.

Conclusions:

• Simultaneous anterior and posterior resection of hemivertebra is an effective surgical option for congenital scoliosis.
• This technique provides significant correction of spinal deformity with a low complication rate in young children.
• Further research can explore long-term outcomes and comparisons with other surgical modalities.