Delayed postoperative paraparesis in scoliosis surgery. A case report

A case report is presented of an unusual complication of scoliosis surgery that, to the authors' knowledge, has never been reported in the literature.

Neurologic complications can occur after an uneventful posterior spinal instrumentation and fusion for scoliosis. Careful observation during the post-operative period is crucial for early detection of impending neurologic deficit.

Nerve compression of the cauda equina has been reported as a complication of different types of surgery in the lumbar spine, but an ascending paraparesis has never been described as a complication of scoliosis surgery.

A 12-year-old boy with a right thoracic scoliosis measuring 68 degrees and a 72 degrees left lumbar curve underwent Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation and fusion from T5 to L4. Spinal cord monitoring with somatosensory evoked potentials and motor action potential were recorded and stable through out the entire procedure. Thirty hours later, a rapidly progressive ascending para-paresis developed that required urgent decompression.

This patient underwent urgent decompression and removal of the Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation. After surgery, the clinical picture improved gradually, and at 2-month follow-up he had regained normal strength in his lower limbs except for a grade 4 left extensor hallucis longus. By 4 months postdecompression, he had made a total recovery.

Although clinical examination may be difficult to perform in patients who are unconscious, on large doses of narcotic drugs, or mentally retarded, careful observation during the postoperative period and awareness of this complication can allow early detection of impending reversible neurologic deficit and provision of appropriate treatment.