Complications After Surgical Treatment of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Even with current techniques and instrumentation, complications can occur after operative treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The most dreaded complications-neurologic deficits-are relatively infrequent, occurring in 1% or less of patients. Nonneurologic deficits, such as infection, pseudarthrosis, curve progression, and proximal junctional kyphosis, are more frequent, but are much less likely to require reoperation or to cause poor functional outcomes. Understanding the potential complications of surgical treatment of pediatric spinal deformity is essential for surgical decision-making.