[Surgical treatment of scoliosis in spinal muscular atrophy]

To describe the early and late postoperative data from SMA patients with surgical procedure.

Clinical data and radiographic imaging from 14 SMA patients with surgical treatment of scoliosis were reviewed, and all were reassessed clinically with new spinal radiographs and a questionnaire. The mean follow-up were 22 months. The mean preoperative Cobb angle was 78.4 . All patients presented pelvic obliquity (mean 25.5 ) and 11 had cifosis. The mean age at time of surgery was 12 years and 3 months. All patients were treated with posterior spinal fusion with Luque-Galveston instrumentation in 12 and Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation in 2.

The average curve correction at the immediate postoperative was 64.3% for scoliosis and 36.4% for cifosis, with the pelvic obliquity correction of the 70.9%. The complications were liquoric fistula and infection earlier in one case, and lately wire looseness of T1 in 2 patients. It was detected mean lost of the correction at the final assessment of the 0.26 of the scoliosis and the 1.28 of the pelvic obliquity. Relatives and the patients related good improvement regarding to esthetic aspects, posture balance, body care, as well as respiratory problems.

The spinal fusion for scoliosis in SMA patients has a satisfactory impact for esthetic, quality of life and respiratory function, with minimal lost of corrected deformities and few complications.