Coronal Plane Correction in Adults with Patient-Specific Rods.

Area of Science:

• Spine surgery
• Orthopedics
• Deformity correction

Background:

• Coronal malalignment significantly impacts pain and disability in adult spinal deformity (ASD).
• Patient-specific rods (PSRs) show promise for sagittal alignment but their effect on coronal deformities is under-investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate radiographic and patient-reported outcomes of ASD correction using PSRs.
• To assess the impact of PSRs on coronal alignment in adult spinal deformity.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 118 adult spinal deformity patients undergoing fusion with UNiD™ PSRs.
• Analysis of radiographic parameters (Cobb angle, C7PL, SVA, LL, PT) and patient-reported outcomes (ODI, NRS pain) pre- and postoperatively.
• Follow-up to 2 years, documenting complications and reoperations.

Main Results:

• Significant improvement in maximal coronal Cobb angle (35.0° to 18.0°) and C7 plumb line deviation.
• Reduction in sagittal vertical axis (SVA) from 62.9 mm to 28.6 mm.
• Improved Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain scores; no increase in dural tears or major blood loss.

Conclusions:

• PSRs effectively correct coronal and sagittal alignment in ASD.
• Surgery incorporating PSRs leads to significant reductions in patient disability and pain.
• While effective, causality cannot be inferred from this retrospective analysis.