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Purpose: To report the efficiency of OT utilisation and perioperative outcomes with a dedicated spine team approach in AIS patients who underwent posterior spinal fusion (PSF) surgeries in a consecutive case operation list., Methods: Three AIS patients operated in a day (8:00 AM-8:00 PM) by a dedicated spine team were recruited between 2021 and 2022. The dedicated team comprised of three senior spine consultants who operated using a dual attending surgeon strategy, an anaesthetic consultant, dedicated surgical scrub nurses, anaesthesiology nurses, radiographers, and neuromonitoring technicians. Patients were categorised according to the sequence of operation list of the day (Case 1, Case 2, and Case 3). OT efficiency was represented by OT time in five stages (preoperative time, operative time, postoperative time, total OT time, and turnover time). OT time and perioperative outcomes were compared., Results: 102 cases were analysed. On average, Case 1 began at 8:38 AM whereas Case 3 ended by 5:54 PM. OT efficiency was consistent throughout the day of operation with comparable OT time in all five stages between groups (p > 0.05). The mean turnover time was 15.1 ± 13.5 min and the mean operative time was 123.0 ± 28.1 min. Intraoperative arterial blood gas (ABG) parameters were maintained in an optimal range. The complication rate was 2.0% (N = 2/102)., Conclusion: Consistent OT efficiency was demonstrated with a dedicated spine team approach. Despite performing three AIS cases in a consecutive case operation list, patients' safety was not compromised as perioperative outcomes between groups were comparable., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The incidence of traumatic spine fractures (TSF) is increasing worldwide, with a reported annual incidence of up to 32.8 per 100000 persons. However, there are only a few cases of spine fractures reported in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients after posterior spinal fusion (PSF) in the literature. Fractures adjacent to fusion blocks that extend into the lower lumbar spine pose a unique challenge as stabilization of such fractures might require an extension of instrumentation to L5 or the pelvis. We report a novel surgical technique where bilateral pedicle and cortical screws at L4 and supplementary rods that connect the cortical screws to the main rods via dominos were implemented for optimizing the distal anchorage for TSF stabilization following an L3 Chance fracture in an AIS patient who had undergone T4-L2 posterior spinal fusion.

Background Context: The widths of medial and lateral pedicle walls in the normal spine of middle-aged and elderly adults have been investigated and these studies found that the medial pedicle wall was thicker than the lateral pedicle wall. However, none had evaluated the widths of medial and lateral pedicle walls on adolescent or young adult scoliotic spines., Purpose: This study aims to identify the distribution and variation of medial and lateral pedicle wall widths throughout the different vertebral levels of the scoliotic spine and its differences according to age, gender, body mass index (BMI), maturity, curve types and curve severity in adolescent idiopathic scoliotic (AIS) patients with major thoracic curves., Study Design: Retrospective study., Patient Sample: A total of 6,230 pedicles (right: 3,064, left: 3,166) from 191 patients were included in this study, with 264 (right: 183, left: 81) fully corticalized pedicles excluded from analysis., Outcome Measures: Demographic data were age, gender, height, weight, BMI, Risser grade, Lenke curve types and Cobb angles. The main outcome measures were medial and lateral pedicle wall widths. Associations between pedicle wall widths and demographic data were calculated., Methods: This was a subanalytical retrospective study done on the same patient population as the previously published study on pedicle grading. The data was obtained from the main computed tomography (CT) scan pedicle study dataset. Medial and lateral pedicle wall widths were measured in the axial slices of CT scans from T1 to L5 vertebrae., Results: A total of 6,230 pedicles (right: 3,064, left: 3,166) from 191 patients were included in this study with 264 (right: 183, left: 81) fully corticalized pedicles excluded from analysis. Right-sided medial pedicle wall widths were narrower from T4-T10 (0.75±0.23 mm) compared to T1-T3 (0.89±0.28 mm) and T11-L5 (0.92±0.30 mm). Left-sided medial pedicle wall widths were narrower from T4 to T7 (0.76±0.24 mm) compared to T1-T3 (0.88±0.26 mm) and T8-L5 (0.90±0.27 mm). Medial cortical wall widths were significantly thicker compared to lateral cortical wall widths for all vertebras from T1 to L5 (right medial 0.85±0.28 mm vs lateral 0.64±0.26 mm (p<.001), left medial 0.86±0.26 mm vs lateral 0.64±0.26 mm (p<.001)). The left medial pedicle wall widths were marginally significantly (p<.001) thicker than the right side (right medial 0.85±0.28 mm vs left 0.86±0.26 mm). The main notable significant differences were located at the periapical region of the thoracic curve between T7 to T10 with the left concave medial pedicle width being thicker than the right convex medial pedicle width. The thinnest medial pedicle walls were located at right concave T7 (0.73±0.24 mm) and T8 (0.73±0.23 mm). We generally found no significant associations between the medial and lateral pedicle wall widths with age, gender, BMI, Risser grade, Cobb angle and curve types., Conclusions: Knowledge on the widths of medial and lateral pedicle walls, their distribution and differences in a scoliotic spine is important for pedicle screw fixation, especially during pedicle probing to find the pedicle channel. The medial pedicle wall widths were significantly thicker than the lateral pedicle wall widths in AIS patients with major thoracic curves. The right concave periapical region had the thinnest medial pedicle walls., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background Context: Preoperative supine radiographs are mandatory in the new adult idiopathic scoliosis (AdIS) classification. Supine radiographs are easily reproducible and highly predictive of side bending radiographs. However, few studies evaluated the use of supine radiographs in predicting postoperative curve correction after posterior spinal fusion (PSF) in AdIS., Purpose: To investigate the use of supine and side bending (SB) radiographs in predicting postoperative curve correction in AdIS patients who underwent PSF., Study Design: Retrospective study., Patient Sample: A total of 93 AdIS patients who underwent PSF between 2022 and 2023 were included., Outcome Measures: Demographic data were age, gender, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), Risser grade, Lenke curve types and Cobb angles. Main outcome measures were preoperative and immediate postoperative Cobb angle (proximal thoracic [PT], main thoracic [MT] and thoracolumbar/lumbar [TL/L] curves), Supine Cobb angle and Flexibility rate (PT, MT and TL/L), and Correction rate (PT, MT and TL/L)., Methods: Correlation study was performed between Supine Cobb angle vs postoperative Cobb angle for PT, MT and TL/L curves. A predictive formula was derived from the correlation plots., Results: A total of 93 subjects were included in our study with a median age of 24.7 years and comprised of 80 females (86.0%). Preoperative Supine Cobb angle (r=0.835, r=0.881, r=0.767, p<.001) and preoperative SB Cobb angle (r=0.815, r=0.872, r=0.801, p<.001) showed similar strong positive correlation with postoperative PT, MT and TL/L Cobb angle, but preoperative Supine Cobb angle had slightly stronger correlation in PT and MT, whereas preoperative SB Cobb angle had stronger correlation in TL/L curve. Using the derived predictive formulae, there was a significant, strong, positive correlation between the predicted value and actual value of postoperative standing Cobb angle, (r=0.852, p<.001), with 71.0% of the patients had predicted postoperative Cobb angle from the supine radiographs within 5° of the actual value., Conclusion: Both supine radiographs and side bending radiographs had strong predictability of the postoperative Cobb angle for PT, MT and TL/L curves. In 71.0% of patients, the actual postoperative Cobb angle was within 5° of the predicted postoperative Cobb angle using the predictive formulae., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Prolonged surgical duration in severe adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients is associated with increased blood loss and perioperative complications. The aim of this study was to compare the duration of each stage of posterior spinal fusion (PSF) in severe AIS (Cobb angle ≥ 90°) with non-severe AIS patients. This analysis will identify the most time-consuming stage of PSF and help surgeons formulate strategies to shorten operative time., Methods: Retrospective study whereby 90 AIS patients (Lenke type 2, 3, 4, and 6) who underwent PSF from 2019 to 2023 were recruited. Twenty-five severe AIS patients were categorized in Gp1 and 65 non-severe AIS patients in Gp2. Propensity score matching (PSM) with one-to-one with nearest neighbor matching (match tolerance 0.05) was performed. Outcomes measured via operation duration of each stage of surgery, blood loss, number of screws, fusion levels and screw density., Results: Twenty-five patients from each group were matched. Total operative time was significantly higher in Gp1 (168.2 ± 30.8 vs. 133.3 ± 24.0 min, p < 0.001). The lengthiest stage was screw insertion which took 58.5 ± 13.4 min in Gp1 and 44.7 ± 13.7 min in Gp2 (p = 0.001). Screw insertion contributed 39.5% of the overall increased surgical duration in Gp1. Intraoperative blood loss (1022.2 ± 412.5 vs. 714.2 ± 206.7 mL, p = 0.002), number of screws (17.1 ± 1.5 vs. 15.5 ± 1.1, p < 0.001) and fusion level (13.1 ± 0.9 vs. 12.5 ± 1.0, p = 0.026) were significantly higher in Gp1., Conclusion: Screw insertion was the most time-consuming stage of PSF and was significantly longer in severe AIS. Adjunct technologies such as CT-guided navigation and robotic-assisted navigation should be considered to reduce screw insertion time in severe AIS., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Study Design: Retrospective Study., Objective: This study aims to investigate variation in the number of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, the prevalence of lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LSTV) and the prevalence of cervical ribs among surgical patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS)., Summary of Background Data: Due to variation in the number of thoracic or lumbar vertebrae, inaccurate identification of vertebral levels has been found to be a contributory factor to wrong-level surgery., Methods: This was a retrospective study on AIS patients who underwent posterior spinal fusion. Demographic and anthropometric data (age, gender, height, weight, and body mass index), radiographic data (Lenke curve type, pre-operative Cobb angle, vertebra numbering of cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, presence of LSTV based on the Castellvi classification and the presence of cervical ribs) and clinical data were collected. Data were analysed and reported with mean and standard deviation for quantitative parameters and number and percentage for qualitative parameters. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with the outcomes of interest., Results: A total of 998 patients met inclusion criteria, of which 135 (13.5%) were males and 863 (86.5%) were females. The vertebrae number varied between 23 to 25 total vertebrae with 24 vertebrae considered as the typical number of vertebrae. The prevalence of atypical number of vertebrae (23 or 25) was 9.8% (98 patients). We found a total of 7 different variations in number of cervical, thoracic, and lumbar vertebrae (7C11T5L, 7C12T4L, 7C11T6L, 7C12T5L, 7C13T4L, 7C12T6L, and 7C13T5L) with 7C12T5L considered as the typical vertebrae variation. The total prevalence of patients with atypical vertebrae variation was 15.5% (155 patients). Cervical ribs were found in 2 (0.2%) patients while LSTV were found in 250 (25.1%) of patients. The odds of 13 thoracic vertebrae were higher in males (OR 5.17; 95% CI: 1.25, 21.39) and the odds of 6 lumbar vertebrae were higher in LSTV (OR 3.93; 95% CI: 2.58, 6.00)., Conclusion: In this series, we identified a total of 7 different variations in the number of cervical, thoracic, and lumbar vertebrae. The total prevalence of patients with atypical vertebrae variation was 15.5%. LSTV was found in 25.1% of the cohort. It is important to ascertain atypical vertebrae variations rather than the absolute number of vertebrae because variants such as 7C11T6L and 7C13T4L may still have typical numbers of vertebrae in total. However, due to the differences in the number of morphologically thoracic and lumbar vetrebrae, there may still be a risk of inaccurate identification., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The liberal use of remifentanil in spine surgery has been associated with an increased incidence of postoperative hyperalgesia. Nevertheless, controversies remain as the existing evidence is inconclusive to determine the relationship between remifentanil use and the development of opioid-induced hyperalgesia. We hypothesized that intraoperative infusion of higher dose remifentanil during scoliosis surgery is associated with postoperative hyperalgesia, manifesting clinically as greater postoperative morphine consumption and pain scores., Methods: Ninety-seven patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) who underwent posterior spinal fusion surgery at a single tertiary institution from March 2019 until June 2020 were enrolled in this retrospective study. Anesthesia was maintained using a target-controlled infusion of remifentanil combined with volatile anesthetic desflurane in 92 patients, while five patients received it as part of total intravenous anesthesia. Intravenous ketamine, paracetamol, and fentanyl were administered as multimodal analgesia. All patients received patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) morphine postoperatively. Pain scores at rest and on movement, assessed using the numerical rating scale, and the cumulative PCA morphine consumption were collected at a six-hourly interval for up to 48 h. According to the median intraoperative remifentanil dose usage of 0.215 µg/kg/min, patients were divided into two groups: low dose and high dose group., Results: There were no significant differences in the pain score and cumulative PCA morphine consumption between the low and high dose remifentanil group. The mean duration of remifentanil infusion was 134.9 ± 22.0 and 123.4 ± 23.7 min, respectively., Conclusion: Intraoperative use of remifentanil as an adjuvant in AIS patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion surgery was not associated with postoperative hyperalgesia., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Purpose: To compare the perioperative outcome and operative cost of posterior spinal fusion (PSF) surgery between severe and non-severe Lenke 1 and 2 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients., Methods: A total of 509 AIS patients who underwent single-staged PSF between 2013 and 2020 were reviewed. Fifty-four severe scoliosis patients (Cobb angle ≥ 90°) were categorized into Gp1, and 455 non-severe scoliosis (Cobb angle < 90°) patients into Gp2. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis using one-to-one nearest neighbor matching and match tolerance of 0.001 were performed. Outcome measures were operative time, intraoperative blood loss (IBL), allogeneic transfusion rate, perioperative complication, length of stay, fusion level, number of screws used, postoperative Cobb angle, correction rate (CR), side bending correction index (SBCI) and operative cost., Results: From the PSM analysis, 35 patients from each group were matched. The operative time was 155.9 ± 41.4 and 130.0 ± 30.3 min for Gp1 and Gp2, respectively (p = 0.004). The IBL was 1349.2 ± 1019.0 and 781.9 ± 325.1 mLs for Gp1 and Gp2, respectively (p = 0.003). Fusion level (12.5 ± 0.8 vs. 11.2 ± 1.3, p < 0.001) and number of screws used (16.4 ± 1.6 vs. 14.6 ± 1.4, p < 0.001) were higher in Gp1. Four perioperative complications were observed in Gp1 compared to none in Gp2 (p < 0.039). Gp1 had larger postoperative Cobb angle (p < 0.001), lower CR (p = 0.005) and higher SBCI (p < 0.001). The operative cost was higher in Gp1 (p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Severe Lenke 1 and 2 AIS patients had poorer perioperative outcome, higher complication rate, longer fusion and higher operative cost than non-severe AIS., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Study Design: This was a retrospective study., Summary of Background Data: Prolonged operation duration in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) surgery was associated with increased perioperative complications. However, the factors affecting operation duration in AIS surgery were unknown., Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the factors affecting operation duration in posterior spinal fusion (PSF) surgery using a dual attending surgeon strategy among Lenke 1 and 2 AIS patients., Methods: In all, 260 AIS patients with Lenke 1 and 2 curves who underwent PSF were retrospectively reviewed. Preoperative and intraoperative factors affecting operation duration such as age, sex, height, weight, body mass index, Risser grade, Lenke subtypes, number of fusion level, number of screws, screw density, wound length, upper and lowest instrumented vertebrae level, preoperative Cobb angle, and flexibility of the major curve were assessed using univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses. Independent factors were determined when P-value <0.05., Results: The mean operation duration was 122.2±28.6 minutes. Significant independent factors affecting operation duration in PSF among Lenke 1 and 2 AIS patients were Lenke 2 subtypes (β=8.86, P=0.008), number of screws (β=7.01, P<0.001), wound length (β=1.14, P=0.009), and flexibility of the major curve (β=-0.25, P=0.005). The overall model fit was R2=0.525. Operation duration can be predicted using the formula: (8.86×Lenke subtypes)+(7.01×number of screws)+(1.14×wound length)-(0.25×flexibility)-0.54, where Lenke 2=1 and Lenke 1=0., Conclusion: The factors affecting operation duration in PSF among Lenke 1 and 2 AIS patients were Lenke 2 curves, number of screws, wound length, and curve flexibility. The knowledge of these factors enables the spinal deformity surgeons to plan and estimate the operation duration before AIS surgery., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Study Design: Prospective randomized double-blinded trial., Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the efficacy of high-dose versus low-dose tranexamic acid (TXA) in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) corrective surgery., Summary of Background Data: Corrective surgery for AIS is associated with significant blood loss. Evidence on the optimum TXA dose to reduce bleeding in pediatric population is scarce., Methods: A total of 166 AIS patients aged between 10 and 21 years, of American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I and II, preoperative hemoglobin >10 g/dL, platelet count >150,000 cells/L and Cobb angle of >45° scheduled for elective single-stage posterior spinal fusion (PSF) surgery by two attending surgeons were included between March 2017 and November 2018. Patients were randomized into Group A (High Dose, 30 mg/kg TXA loading dose followed by 10 mg/kg/h infusion) and Group B (Low Dose, 10 mg/kg TXA loading dose followed by 1 mg/kg/h infusion). The primary outcome was total surgical blood loss between both groups. Secondary outcomes were transfusion requirement, perioperative changes in hemoglobin and coagulation profiles, adverse events, and factors that influence total blood loss., Results: The mean total surgical blood loss between the two groups was not significant (Group A: 928.8 ± 406.1 mL [range: 348-1857 mL]; Group B: 918.1 ± 406.2 mL [range: 271-2000 mL], P = 0.865). The median duration of surgery was 120 minutes. One patient in each group received allogenic blood transfusion during the perioperative period. There were no significant changes in hemoglobin and coagulation profile at pre-operation, post-operation 0 hour and 48 hours. Sex, number of vertebral levels fused, and duration of surgery were independently associated with total surgical blood loss. No adverse events were observed perioperatively., Conclusion: Low-dose TXA was as efficacious as high-dose TXA in reducing blood loss and allogenic blood transfusion for AIS patients undergoing PSF surgery.Level of Evidence: 1., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background Context: The implementation of a dual attending surgeon strategy had improved perioperative outcomes of idiopathic scoliosis (IS) patients. Nevertheless, the learning curve of a dual attending surgeon practice in single-staged posterior spinal fusion (PSF) surgery has not been established., Objective: To evaluate the surgical learning curve of a dual attending surgeon strategy in IS patients., Study Design: Retrospective study., Patient Sample: 415 IS patients (Cobb angle <90°) who underwent PSF using a dual attending surgeon strategy OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcomes included operative time, total blood loss, allogenic blood transfusion requirement, length of hospital stay and perioperative complication rate., Methods: Regression analysis using Locally Weighted Scatterplot Smoothing (LOWESS) method was applied to create the best-fit-curve between case number versus operative time and total blood loss in identifying cut-off points for the learning curve., Results: The mean Cobb angle was 60.8±10.8°. Mean operative time was 134.4±32.1 minutes and mean total blood loss was 886.0±450.6 mL. The mean length of hospital stay was 3.0±1.6 days. The learning curves of a dual attending surgeon strategy in this study were established at the 115th case (operative time) and 196th case (total blood loss) respectively (p<.001). In comparison of cases before and after the cut-off points, mean operative time reduced significantly from 147.2±36.5 minutes to 129.5±28.9 minutes and mean total blood loss reduced significantly from 1015.1±506.6 mL to 770.4±357.3 mL (p<.001). No allogenic blood transfusion was required and there were 7 perioperative complications (n=7/415, 1.7%) recorded., Conclusion: The learning curve of a dual surgeon strategy in single-staged PSF surgery based on operative time and total blood loss were established at 115th case and 196th case respectively (p<.001)., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To investigate mid-long-term effects of the lowest instrumented vertebra (LIV) selection on adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients who had posterior spinal fusion (PSF) surgery., Methods: Forty-eight patients were recruited. Inclusion criteria were AIS patients who have had PSF surgery more than 10 years ago. Patients were divided into G1: LIV L3 or higher and G2: LIV L4 or lower. MRI evaluation was classified using Pfirrmann grades. Pfirrmann scores were average of Pfirrmann grades for all unfused discs below LIV. SRS-22r, SF-36, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Modified Cincinnati Sports Activity Scale (MCSAS) were used., Results: There were 19 patients in G1 and 29 patients in G2. Demographic parameters showed no significant differences. We found no significant differences in Pfirrmann grades or scores between G1 and G2. There was significant correlation between age and mean Pfirrmann scores (r = 0.546, p < 0.001), Pfirrmann grade for adjacent disc + 1 below LIV (r = 0.475, p = 0.001) and adjacent disc below LIV (r = 0.365, p = 0.011). G2 had significantly lower scores for SRS-22r pain (G1: 4.3 ± 0.5, G2: 4.0 ± 0.6, p = 0.044) and the SF-36 bodily pain (G1: 88.7 ± 12.3, G2: 77.8 ± 18.7, p = 0.018) domains. There were no significant differences in ODI and MCSAS between the two groups., Conclusions: Patients with fusion to L4 or lower had more significant back pain. However, both groups had similar physical function, self-image, satisfaction with treatment, mental health, and functional sports activity. We did not find any significant association between lumbar discs degeneration and the selection of LIV., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Study Design: Retrospective study., Objective: To assess the learning curve of a dual attending surgeon strategy in severe adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients., Summary of Background Data: The advantages of a dual attending surgeon strategy in improving the perioperative outcome in scoliosis surgery had been reported. However, the learning curve of this strategy in severe scoliosis had not been widely studied., Methods: A total of 105 patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with Cobb angle of 90° or greater, who underwent posterior spinal fusion using a dual attending surgeon strategy were recruited. Primary outcomes were operative time, total blood loss, allogeneic blood transfusion requirement, length of hospital stay from time of operation and perioperative complications. Cases were sorted chronologically into group 1: cases 1 to 35, group 2: cases 36 to 70, and group 3: case 71 to 105. Mean operative time (≤193.3 min), total blood loss (≤1612.2 mL), combination of both and allogeneic blood transfusion were the selected criteria for receiver operating characteristic analysis of the learning curve., Results: The mean Cobb angle was 104.5° ± 12.3°. The operative time, total blood loss, and allogeneic blood transfusion requirement reduced significantly for group 1 (220.6 ± 54.8 min; 2011.3 ± 881.8 mL; 12 cases) versus group 2 (183.6 ± 36.7 min; 1481.6 ± 1035.5 mL; 3 cases) and group 1 versus group 3 (175.6 ± 38.4 min; 1343.7 ± 477.8 mL; 3 cases) (P < 0.05). There were six perioperative complications. Fifty-seven cases were required to achieve the preset criteria (mean operative time and mean total blood loss) (area under the curve 0.740; P < 0.001; sensitivity 0.675; specificity 0.662)., Conclusion: There was significant improvement in operative time and total blood loss when comparing group 1 versus group 2 and group 1 versus group 3. The cut-off point for the learning curve was 57 cases when the preset criteria were fulfilled (≤193.3 min operative time and ≤1612.2 mL of total blood loss).Level of Evidence: 4., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: There has been a growing interest in using all pedicle screw construct in posterior spinal fusion (PSF) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) surgery in recent years. However, studies focusing on perioperative outcome and complications utilizing only pedicle screw system in AIS population are lacking. This study aims to evaluate perioperative outcomes and to determine the prevalence of major and minor complications following single-staged PSF for AIS., Methods: In this retrospective study of prospectively collected data, 1057 AIS patients operated between 2012 and 2019 were included. Main outcome measures were operative time, intraoperative blood loss, allogeneic blood transfusion rate, length of hospital stay after surgery, complication rate, and mean drop of haemoglobin (Hb) level. We documented the number of fusion levels, screw density, and postoperative radiographic parameters., Results: There were 917 females and 140 males. Majority were Lenke 1 curve type (46.9%). Mean age was 15.6 ± 3.7 years, with mean BMI of 18.6 ± 3.2 kg/m 2 . Mean operative time was 146.8 ± 49.4 min. Average intraoperative blood loss was 952.9 ± 530.4 ml with allogeneic blood transfusion rate of 5%. Mean screw density was 1.27 ± 0.21 screws per fusion level. Average hospital stay after surgery was 3.5 ± 0.9 days. Twenty-four complications were documented: twelve superficial infections (1.14%), five transient neurological deficits (0.47%), two deep infections (0.19%), two superior mesenteric artery syndrome, and one case each (0.09%) for massive intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative seizure, and lung atelectasis., Conclusion: AIS patients treated with single-staged PSF using pedicle screw construct had a 0.95% rate of major complications and 1.32% rate of minor complications. Rate of neurologic complication was 0.47% while non-neurologic postoperative complications was 1.80% with infection being the leading complication at 1.32%.

Purpose: Knowledge on the factors affecting the correction rate (CR) aids in the surgical planning among severe idiopathic scoliosis (IS) patients. This study aimed to investigate the independent factors affecting CR among patients with severe IS (Cobb angle ≥ 90°) who underwent single-staged posterior spinal fusion (PSF)., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 128 severe IS patients who underwent single-staged PSF. Factors including age, height, weight, body mass index, Risser sign, Lenke subtypes, preoperative major Cobb angle, side bending major Cobb angle, side bending flexibility (SBF), motion segments of the major curve, AR curve, number of levels fused, screw density, operative time and postoperative major Cobb angle were analysed using linear regression analysis., Results: The mean age was 15.5 ± 4.5 years with mean Risser sign of 3.1 ± 1.6. The mean preoperative Cobb, SBF, postoperative Cobb and CR were 102.8 ± 12.3°, 37.5 ± 13.7%, 44.4 ± 13.5° and 57.2 ± 10.8%, respectively. From stepwise multiple linear regression analysis, SBF, Risser sign and AR curve were the independent predictive factors for CR, with R 2 value of 0.345 (p < 0.001). CR can be predicted using the formula: 47.21 + (0.34 × SBF)-(1.47 × Risser sign) + (3.69 × AR), where AR = 1 and non-AR = 0., Conclusion: The flexibility of the major curve, Risser sign and AR curve were the most important predictors for CR in a single-staged PSF among patients with severe IS.

Study Design: Prospective study., Objective: To determine the parents'/patients' perception on the informed consent process prior to posterior spinal fusion (PSF) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients., Summary of Background Data: Understanding parents/patients perspective on the process is important in order to achieve the goal of consent and prevent medico-legal implications., Methods: Fifty AIS patients operated between August 2019 and November 2019 were prospectively recruited. Parents'/patients' perceptions on three sections were evaluated: the process of the informed consent, specific operative risk which they were most concerned with and the accountability of surgeons for the surgical risks. These data were ranked and scored using a 5-point Likert Scale. Preferences were reported in mean and standard deviation. Differences in terms of preferences were studied using One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) analysis and deemed significant when P < 0.05., Results: There were 30 females (60.0%) and 20 males (40.0%) with a mean age of 41.8 ± 10.6 years. Majority of parents/patients preferred the inform consent to be explained more than once (P = 0.021), once during clinic consultation and once during admission (4.2 ± 1.0). Consent taking by both attending surgeons was preferred (4.5 ± 0.6) compared with other healthcare providers, P < 0.001. Death (60.0%) and neurological deficit (30.0%) were the two most concerned surgical risks. Parents/patients would still hold the surgeon accountable for any complications despite signing the informed consent and they felt that surgeons were directly responsible for screw-related injuries (3.9 ± 0.9), neurological injury (3.8 ± 0.9), and intraoperative bleeding (3.7 ± 0.9)., Conclusion: Parents/patients preferred the attending surgeons to personally explain the informed consent, more than once with the use of visual aid. They would still hold the surgeons accountable when complications occur despite acceptance of the informed consent., Level of Evidence: 2.

Purpose: Various surgical strategies including combined approach and spinal osteotomies in severe rigid scoliosis had been reported with significant perioperative complication rates. The use of single-staged posterior spinal fusion (PSF) utilizing a dual attending surgeon strategy for severe rigid scoliosis has not been widely reported., Methods: This was a retrospective study aimed to evaluate the perioperative outcome of single-staged PSF in severe rigid idiopathic scoliosis patients (Cobb angle ≥90° and ≤30% flexibility). Forty-one patients with severe rigid idiopathic scoliosis who underwent single-staged PSF were included. The perioperative outcome parameters were operation duration, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative hemodynamic parameters, preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin, transfusion rate, patient-controlled anesthesia morphine usage, length of postoperative hospital stay, and perioperative complications. Radiological parameters included preoperative and postoperative Cobb angle, correction rate, side-bending flexibility, and side-bending correction index., Results: The mean age was 16.9 ± 5.6 years. The mean preoperative Cobb angle was 110.8 ± 12.1° with mean flexibility of 23.1 ± 6.3%. The mean operation duration was 215.5 ± 45.2 min with mean blood loss of 1752.6 ± 830.5 mL. The allogeneic blood transfusion rate was 24.4%. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 76.9 ± 26.7 h. The mean postoperative Cobb angle and correction rate were 54.4 ± 12.8° and 50.9 ± 10.1%, respectively. The readmission rate in this cohort was 2.4%. Four perioperative complications were documented (9.8%), one somatosensory evoke potential signal loss, one superficial infection, one lung collapse, and one superior mesenteric artery syndrome., Conclusions: Severe rigid idiopathic scoliosis treated with single-staged PSF utilizing a dual attending surgeon strategy demonstrated an average correction rate of 50.9%, operation duration of 215.5 min, and postoperative hospital stay of 76.9 h with a 9.8% perioperative complication rate.

Growth hormone secreting pituitary tumor or gigantism has not been previously reported to be associated with rapid progression of scoliosis in the literature. However, there are some reports indicating scoliosis can be worsened by growth hormone therapy in children and adolescents. A 19-year-old boy was referred to our institution for the treatment of a right thoracolumbar scoliosis. The Cobb angle had worsened from 29° to 83° over two years' duration. He attained puberty at the age of 13. He had a previous history of slipped upper femoral epiphysis (SUFE), which was operated in 2015, with no clinical features of gigantism. Preoperative assessment was performed. He was diagnosed with growth hormone secreting pituitary macroadenoma by magnetic resonance imaging with a high serum level of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). Computed tomography (CT) of the pancreas showed a pancreatic endocrine tumor. The patient was later diagnosed with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN 1). He underwent endoscopic endonasal excision of the pituitary mass and distal pancreatectomy. This case indicates that growth hormone secreting pituitary macroadenoma could result in rapid progression of scoliosis.

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome is a rare but serious complication following scoliosis surgery. Early diagnosis and management are key factors for successful conservative treatment to avoid the need for emergency laparotomies which causes higher morbidity or even mortality. We report two adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients with Cobb angle of 49° and 132°, respectively, and low body mass index who presented with SMA syndrome following posterior spinal fusion from T2 to L3 and were treated successfully with conservative management. Abdominal radiographs showed distended gastric shadow. Computed tomography angiography of the abdomen showed decreased aortomesenteric angle and SMA-aorta distance. Both patients were treated successfully with conservative treatment which included three principles: gastric decompression with nasogastric tube, correction of electrolytes imbalance, and nutritional support with low volume, high calorie nutritional supplement. Both patients were started with small but frequent meals. Surgeries were not required in both cases. Early diagnosis and management are the key factors to successful treatment in SMA syndrome. Patients with SMA can be treated successfully with conservative treatment comprising of nasogastric decompression, electrolyte correction, and nutritional support with small but frequent meals.

Objective: The incidence of postoperative shoulder imbalance following posterior spinal fusion (PSF) is still high in Lenke 1 curves despite following current treatment recommendations for upper instrumented vertebra (UIV) selection. The objective of this retrospective study was to identify differences in preoperative shoulder balance and to report the surgical outcome of two subtypes of Lenke 1 curves (flexible vs stiff) in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS)., Methods: The authors grouped patients' curves as Lenke 1-ve (flexible) when their preoperative proximal thoracic side bending (PTSB) Cobb angle was < 15° and as Lenke 1+ve (stiff) when the PTSB Cobb angle was 15°-24.9°. The authors hypothesized that these two subtypes had distinct preoperative and postoperative shoulder and neck balance following PSF using pedicle screw constructs., Results: Fifty patients had Lenke 1 (flexible) curves and 61 had Lenke 1 (stiff) curves. The mean preoperative T1 tilt for patients with Lenke 1 (flexible) was -4.9° ± 5.3°, and for those with Lenke 1 (stiff) curves it was -1.0° ± 5.3° (p < 0.001). Mean cervical axis (CA) was -0.1° ± 3.2° for Lenke 1 (flexible) curves and 2.3° ± 3.5° for Lenke 1 (stiff) curves (p < 0.001). Preoperative radiographic shoulder height (RSH) and clavicle angle (Cla-A) were similar between the two curve subtypes. Following surgery, there were significant differences between the subtypes in terms of T1 tilt (p < 0.001), RSH (p = 0.014), and Cla-A (p = 0.031). Interestingly, 41.0% of patients with a Lenke 1 (stiff) curve had +ve T1 tilt compared to 2.0% in Lenke 1 (flexible) group. Moreover, 26.2% of patients with the Lenke 1 (stiff) curve had +ve RSH compared to 12.0% of those with Lenke 1 (flexible) curves. And, 24.6% of patients with Lenke 1 (stiff) had +ve Cla-A compared to 10.0% of those with Lenke 1 (flexible) curves., Conclusions: Lenke 1 (flexible) and Lenke 1 (stiff) curves had distinct preoperative T1 tilt and CA measurements. Following PSF, the authors noted +ve T1 tilt in 41% of patients with Lenke 1 (stiff) curves versus 2.0% in those with Lenke 1 (flexible) curves. The authors also noted a significant difference in postoperative RSH and Cla-A measurements.

Study Design: Retrospective propensity score matching study., Objective: To investigate whether menses affect intraoperative blood loss in female adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion (PSF) surgeries., Summary of Background Data: There were concerns whether patients having menses will have higher intraoperative blood loss if surgery were to be done during this period., Methods: This study included 372 females who were operated between May 2016 to May 2019. Fifty-five patients had menses during surgery (Group 1, G1) and 317 patients did not have menses during surgery (Group 2, G2). Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis with one-to-one, nearest neighbor matching technique and with a match tolerance of 0.001 was used. The main outcome measures were intraoperative blood loss (IBL), volume of blood salvaged, transfusion rate, preoperative hemoglobin, preoperative platelet, preoperative prothrombin time, preoperative activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), international normalized ratio (INR), and postoperative hemoglobin. Postoperative Cobb angle and correction rate were also documented., Results: At the end of PSM analysis, 46 patients from each group were matched and balanced. The average operation duration for G1 was 140.8 ± 43.0 minutes compared with 143.1 ± 48.3 minutes in G2 (P = 0.806). The intraoperative blood loss for G1 was 904.3 ± 496.3 mL and for G2 was 907.9 ± 482.8 mL (P = 0.972). There was no significant difference in terms of normalized blood loss (NBL), volume of blood salvaged during surgery, preoperative hemoglobin, postoperative hemoglobin, hemoglobin drift, estimated blood volume (EBV), IBL per EBV and IBL per level fused (P > 0.05). No postoperative complications were encountered in both groups. On average, the postoperative hospital stay was 3.5 ± 0.8 days for both groups (P = 0.143)., Conclusion: Performing corrective surgery during the menstrual phase in female AIS patients is safe without risk of increased blood loss., Level of Evidence: 4.

Study Design: Retrospective study., Objective: To investigate the relationship between a +ve postoperative Upper Instrumented Vertebra (UIV) (≥0°) tilt angle and the risk of medial shoulder/neck and lateral shoulder imbalance among Lenke 1 and 2 Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) patients following Posterior Spinal Fusion., Summary of Background Data: Current UIV selection strategy has poor correlation with postoperative shoulder balance. The relationship between a +ve postoperative UIV tilt angle and the risk of postoperative shoulder and neck imbalance was unknown., Methods: One hundred thirty-six Lenke 1 and 2 AIS patients with minimum 2 years follow-up were recruited. For medial shoulder and neck balance, patients were categorized into positive (+ve) imbalance (≥+4°), balanced, or negative (-ve) imbalance (≤-4°) groups based on T1 tilt angle/Cervical Axis measurement. For lateral shoulder balance, patients were classified into +ve imbalance (≥+3°) balanced, and -ve imbalance (≤-3°) groups based on Clavicle Angle (Cla-A) measurement. Linear regression analysis identified the predictive factors for shoulder/neck imbalance. Logistic regression analysis calculated the odds ratio of shoulder/neck imbalance for patients with +ve postoperative UIV tilt angle., Results: Postoperative UIV tilt angle and preoperative T1 tilt angle were predictive of +ve medial shoulder imbalance. Postoperative UIV tilt angle and postoperative PT correction were predictive of +ve neck imbalance. Approximately 51.6% of patients with +ve medial shoulder imbalance had +ve postoperative UIV tilt angle. Patients with +ve postoperative UIV tilt angle had 14.9 times increased odds of developing +ve medial shoulder imbalance and 3.3 times increased odds of developing +ve neck imbalance. Postoperative UIV tilt angle did not predict lateral shoulder imbalance., Conclusion: Patients with +ve postoperative UIV tilt angle had 14.9 times increased odds of developing +ve medial shoulder imbalance (T1 tilt angle ≥+4°) and 3.3 times increased odds of developing +ve neck imbalance (cervical axis ≥+4°)., Level of Evidence: 4.

Study Design: Retrospective study., Objective: The primary objective of this study was to assess the conformity of the radiological neck and shoulder balance parameters throughout a follow-up period of more than 2 years., Summary of Background Data: Postoperative shoulder and neck imbalance are undesirable features among Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis patients who underwent Posterior Spinal Fusion. There are many clinical and radiological parameters used to assess this clinical outcome. However, we do not know whether these radiological parameters conform throughout the entire follow-up period., Methods: This was a retrospective study done in a single academic institution. Inclusion criteria were patients with scoliosis who underwent posterior instrumented spinal fusion with pedicle screw fixation and attended all scheduled follow-ups for at least 24 months postoperatively. Radiological shoulder parameters were measured from both preoperative antero-posterior and postoperative antero-posterior radiographs. Lateral shoulder parameters were: Radiographic Shoulder Height, Clavicle Angle (Cla-A), Clavicle-Rib Intersection Difference, and Coracoid Height Difference. Medial shoulder and neck parameters were: T1 Tilt and Cervical Axis (CA)., Results: The radiographs of 50 patients who had surgery done from November 2013 to November 2015 were analyzed. Mean age of this cohort was 16.3 ± 7.0 years. There were 38 (76%) female patients and 12 (24%) male patients. Mean final follow-up was 38.6 ± 5.8 months. When conformity assessment of the radiological parameter using the interclass coefficient correlation was done, we found that all parameters had significant correlation (P < 0.05). T1 tilt (0.78) had good reliability, CA (0.47), Clavicle-Rib Intersection Difference (0.43), and Coracoid Height Difference (0.40) had moderate reliability and Radiographic Shoulder Height (0.22) and Cla-A (0.13) had poor reliability., Conclusion: All the radiological shoulder and neck balance parameters studied were conformed and suitable to be used to assess the patient postoperatively. Amongst these radiological parameters, T1 tilt followed by CA recorded to be the most reliable parameters over time., Level of Evidence: 4.

Study Design: Retrospective study from a prospectively collected database., Objective: To compare the perioperative outcome between after-hours and daytime surgery carried out by a dedicated spinal deformity team for severe Idiopathic Scoliosis (IS) patients with Cobb angle ≥ 90°., Summary of Background Data: There were concerns that after-hours corrective surgeries in severe IS have higher morbidity compared to daytime surgeries., Methods: Seventy-one severe IS patients who underwent single-staged Posterior Spinal Fusion (PSF) were included. Surgeries performed between 08:00H and 16:59H were classified as "daytime" group and surgeries performed between 17:00H and 06:00H were classified as "after-hours" group. Perioperative outcome parameters were average operation start time and end time, operation duration, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative hemodynamic parameters, preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin, blood transfusion rate, total patient-controlled anesthesia (PCA) morphine usage, length of postoperative hospitalization, and complications. Radiological variables assessed were preoperative and postoperative Cobb angle, side bending flexibility, number of fusion levels, number of screws used, Correction Rate, and Side Bending Correction Index., Results: Thirty patients were operated during daytime and 41 patients were operated after-hours. The mean age was 16.1 ± 5.8 years old. The mean operation start time for daytime group was 11:31 ± 2:45H versus 19:10 ± 1:24H for after-hours group. There were no significant differences between both groups in the operation duration, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative hemodynamic parameters, postoperative hemoglobin, hemoglobin drift, transfusion rate, length of postoperative hospitalization, postoperative Cobb angle, Correction Rate, and Side Bending Correction Index. There were four complications (1 SSEP loss, 1 massive blood loss, and 2 superficial wound infections) with no difference between daytime and after-hours group., Conclusion: After-hours elective spine deformity corrective surgeries in healthy ambulatory patients with severe IS performed by a dedicated spinal deformity team using dual attending surgeon strategy were as safe as those performed during daytime., Level of Evidence: 4.

Purpose: To determine consensus among Asia-Pacific surgeons regarding nonoperative management for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS)., Methods: An online REDCap questionnaire was circulated to surgeons in the Asia-Pacific region during the period of July 2019 to September 2019 to inquire about various components of nonoperative treatment for AIS. Aspects under study included access to screening, when MRIs were obtained, quality-of-life assessments used, role of scoliosis-specific exercises, bracing criteria, type of brace used, maturity parameters used, brace wear regimen, follow-up criteria, and how braces were weaned. Comparisons were made between middle-high income and low-income countries, and experience with nonoperative treatment., Results: A total of 103 responses were collected. About half (52.4%) of the responders had scoliosis screening programs and were particularly situated in middle-high income countries. Up to 34% obtained MRIs for all cases, while most would obtain MRIs for neurological problems. The brace criteria were highly variable and was usually based on menarche status (74.7%), age (59%), and Risser staging (92.8%). Up to 52.4% of surgeons elected to brace patients with large curves before offering surgery. Only 28% of responders utilized CAD-CAM techniques for brace fabrication and most (76.8%) still utilized negative molds. There were no standardized criteria for brace weaning., Conclusion: There are highly variable practices related to nonoperative treatment for AIS and may be related to availability of resources in certain countries. Relative consensus was achieved for when MRI should be obtained and an acceptable brace compliance should be more than 16 hours a day.

Aberrant left brachiocephalic vein is a rare condition. Its occurrence in patients requiring anterior cervicothoracic approach for severe kyphoscoliosis has not been described. A 16-year-old male with neurofibromatosis and severe upper thoracic kyphoscoliosis presented to us with curve progression. Halo gravity traction was attempted but failed to achieve significant correction. Subsequently, he underwent halo-pelvic traction and later Posterior Spinal Fusion (PSF) from C2 to T10. Second-stage anterior cervicothoracic approach with anterior fibula strut grafting was planned; however, preoperative computed tomography angiography revealed an aberrant left brachiocephalic vein with an anomalous retrotracheal and retroesophageal course, directly anterior to the T5/T6 vertebrae (planned anchor site for fibula strut graft) before draining into superior vena cava. Therefore, surgery was abandoned due to the risks associated with this anomaly. Aberrant left brachiocephalic vein is rare, the presence of which could be a contraindication for anterior cervicothoracic approach. Assessment of the anterior neurovascular structures is crucial in preoperative planning.

Study Design: Retrospective study., Objective: This study looked into whether crossbar can reliably measure Upper Instrumend Vertebra (UIV) tilt angle intraoperatively and accurately predict the UIV tilt angle postoperatively and at final follow-up., Summary of Background Data: Postoperative shoulder imbalance is a common cause of poor cosmetic appearance leading to patient dissatisfaction. There were no reports describing the technique or method in measuring the UIV tilt angle intraoperatively. Therefore, this study was designed to look into the reliability and accuracy of the usage of intraoperative crossbar in measuring the UIV tilt angle intraoperatively., Methods: Lenke 1 and 2 Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis patients who underwent instrumented Posterior Spinal Fusion using pedicle screw constructs with minimum follow-up of 24 months were recruited for this study. After surgical correction, intraoperative UIV tilt angle was measured using a crossbar. Immediate postoperative and final follow up UIV tilt angle was measured on the standing anteroposterior radiographs., Results: A total of 100 patients were included into this study. The reliability of the intraoperative crossbar to measure the optimal UIV tilt angle intraoperatively was determined by repeated measurements by assessors and measurement by different assessors. We found that the intra observer and inter observer reliability was very good with intraclass correlation coefficient values of >0.9. The accuracy of the intraoperative crossbar to measure the optimal UIV tilt angle intraoperatively was determined by comparing this measurement with the postoperative UIV tilt angle. We found that there was no significant difference (P>0.05) between intraoperative, immediate postoperative, and follow-up UIV tilt angle., Conclusions: The crossbar can be used to measure the intraoperative UIV tilt angle consistently and was able to predict the postoperative UIV tilt angle. It was a cheap, simple, reliable, and accurate instrument to measure the intraoperative UIV tilt angle.

Study Design: Retrospective study of a prospectively-collected data., Objective: To determine whether the severity of the curve magnitude in Lenke 1 and 2 Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) patients affects the distance and position of the aorta from the vertebra., Summary of Background Data: There were studies that looked into the position of the aorta in scoliotic patients but none of them documented the change in distance of the aorta to the vertebra in relation to the magnitude of the scoliosis., Methods: Patients with Lenke 1 and 2 AIS who underwent posterior spinal fusion using pedicle screw construct and had a preoperative computed tomography (CT) scan performed were recruited. The radiological parameters measured on preoperative CT scan were: Aortic-Vertebral Distance (AVD), Entry-Aortic Distance (EAD), Aortic-Vertebral angle (AVA), Pedicle Aorta angle/Aortic Alpha angle (α angle), and Aortic Beta angle (β angle)., Results: Thirty-nine patients were recruited. Significant moderate to strong positive correlation was found between AVD and Cobb angle from T8 to T12 vertebrae (r = 0.360 to 0.666). The EAD was generally small in the thoracic region (T4-T10) with mean EAD of less than 30 mm. Among all apical vertebrae, the mean AVD was 5.9 ± 2.2 mm with significant moderate-strong positive correlation to Cobb angle (r = 0.580). The mean α angle was 37.7 ± 8.7° with significant weak positive correlation with Cobb angle (r = 0.325)., Conclusion: The larger the scoliotic curve, the aorta was located further away from the apical vertebral wall. The aorta has less risk of injury from the left lateral pedicle screw breach in larger scoliotic curve at the apical region. The distance from the pedicle screw entry point to the wall of the aorta was generally small (less than 30 mm) in the thoracic region (T4-T10)., Level of Evidence: 4.

Purpose: To analyze the incidence, pattern, and contributing factors of pelvic obliquity among Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) patients who will undergo surgery., Methods: In total, 311 patients underwent erect whole spine anteroposterior, lateral and lower limb axis films. Radiographic measurements included Transilium Pelvic Height Difference (TPHD; mm), Hip Abduction-Adduction angle (H/Abd-Add; °), Lower limb Length Discrepancy (LLD; mm), and Pelvic Hypoplasia (PH angle; °). The incidence and severity of pelvic obliquity were stratified to Lenke curve subtypes in 311 patients. The causes of pelvic obliquity were analyzed in 57 patients with TPHD ≥10 mm., Results: The mean Cobb angle was 64.0 ± 17.2°. Sixty-nine patients had a TPHD of 0 mm (22.2%). The TPHD was <5 mm in 134 (43.0%) patients, 5-9 mm in 104 (33.4%) patients, 10-14 mm in 52 (16.7%) patients, 15-19 mm in 19 (6.1%) patients, and ≥20 mm in only 2 (0.6%) patients. There was a significant difference between the Lenke curve types in terms of TPHD ( p = 0.002). L6 curve types had the highest TPHD of 9.0 ± 6.3 mm followed by L5 curves, which had a TPHD of 7.1 ± 4.8 mm. In all, 44.2% of L1 curves and 50.0% of L2 curves had positive TPHD compared to 66.7% of L5 curves and 74.1% of L6 curves which had negative TPHD. 33.3% and 24.6% of pelvic obliquity were attributed to PH and LLD, respectively, whereas 10.5% of cases were attributed to H/Abd-Add positioning., Conclusions: 76.4% of AIS cases had pelvic obliquity <10 mm; 44.2% of L1 curves and 50.0% of L2 curves had a lower right hemipelvis compared to 66.7% of L5 curves and 74.1% of L6 curves, which had a higher right hemipelvis. Among patients with pelvic obliquity ≥10 mm, 33.3% were attributed to PH, whereas 24.6% were attributed to LLD.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of after-hours electively planned Posterior Spinal Fusion surgeries for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) patients with daytime surgeries., Methods: This was a retrospective propensity score-matched study using prospectively collected data. Surgeries performed between 08:00 and 16:59 h were labeled as daytime surgeries (group 1) and surgeries performed between 17:00 and 06:00 h were labeled as after-hours surgeries (group 2). The perioperative outcome parameters were average operation time in and out, operation duration, intraoperative blood loss, blood transfusion, intraoperative hemodynamic parameters, preoperative hemoglobin, postoperative hemoglobin, and total patient-controlled anesthesia (PCA) morphine usage. Radiological variables assessed were Lenke subtypes, preoperative Cobb angle, number of fusion levels, number of screws used, postoperative Cobb angle, correction rate, side bending flexibility, side bending correction index, complications rate, and length of hospitalization., Results: Average operation time in for daytime group was 11:32 ± 2:33 h versus 18:20 ± 1:05 h in after-hours group. Comparing daytime surgeries with after-hours surgeries, there were no significant differences ( p > 0.05) in the operation duration, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative pH, bicarbonate, lactate, postoperative hemoglobin, hemoglobin drift, blood transfusion, postoperative Cobb angle, correction rate, side bending flexibility, side bending correction index, length of hospitalization, and complications rate. Total PCA morphine usage was significantly lesser in the after-hours group (18.2 ± 15.3 mg) compared with the daytime group (24.6 ± 16.6 mg; p = 0.042)., Conclusions: After-hours elective spine deformity corrective surgeries for healthy ambulatory patients with AIS were as safe as when they were done during daytime.

Study Design: Retrospective study of prospectively collected data., Objective: To analyze the incidence and the patterns of medial and lateral shoulder discordance among Lenke 1 and 2 patients., Summary of Background Data: Postoperative shoulder imbalance (PSI) is still common in Lenke 1 and 2 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). This could be due to presence of medial dan lateral shoulder discordance., Methods: One hundred fifty-one Lenke 1 and 2 AIS patients were recruited. Lenke 1 curves were subclassified into Lenke 1-ve (flexible) (proximal thoracic side bending [PTSB] Cobb angle <15°) and 1+ve curves (stiff) (PTSB Cobb angle between 15° and 24.9°). T1 tilt represented "medial shoulder balance" and radiological shoulder height (RSH) represented "lateral shoulder balance." We categorized patients into three concordant shoulder pattern types (medial balanced/lateral balanced [MBLB], medial imbalanced+ve/lateral imbalanced+ve (MI+ve/LI+ve), medial imbalanced-ve/lateral Imbalanced-ve (MI-ve/LI-ve), and six discordant shoulder pattern types., Results: The mean age was 16.2 ± 5.7 years. Eighty-one patients (53.6%) had concordant pattern and 70 patients (46.4%) had discordant pattern. Lateral shoulder imbalance was noted in 35.1% of patients and medial shoulder imbalance in 43.7% of patients. In Lenke 1-ve curves, 35 patients (68.6%) had concordant shoulder imbalance with medial imbalanced-ve/lateral imbalanced-ve (MI-ve/LI-ve) being the commonest pattern (68.6%). In Lenke 1+ve curves, 33 patients (55.0%) had concordant shoulder pattern with medial balanced/lateral balanced (MB/LB) being the commonest type (57.6%). In Lenke 2 AIS, 27 patients (67.5%) had discordant pattern with medial imbalanced+ve/lateral balanced (MI+ve/LB) being the commonest pattern (44.4%) (P value = 0.002)., Conclusion: 46.4% Lenke 1 and 2 AIS patients had shoulder discordant pattern. This was more prevalent in Lenke 2 curves (67.5%). In Lenke 1-ve (flexible) curves, MI-ve/LI-ve pattern was the commonest pattern. In Lenke 1+ve curves (stiff), there were almost equal number of concordant and discordant shoulder pattern. In Lenke 2 patients, the most common pattern was MI+ve/LB., Level of Evidence: 4.

Study Design: Retrospective study., Objective: To evaluate the perioperative outcome of dual attending surgeon strategy for severe adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients with Cobb angle more than or equal to 90°., Summary of Background Data: The overall complication rate for AIS remains significant and is higher in severe scoliosis. Various operative strategies had been reported for severe scoliosis. However the role of dual attending surgeon strategy in improving the perioperative outcome in severe scoliosis has not been investigated., Methods: The patients were stratified into two groups, Cobb angles 90° to 100° (Group 1) and more than 100° (Group 2). Demographic, intraoperative, preoperative, and postoperative day 2 data were collected. The main outcome measures were intraoperative blood loss, use of allogeneic blood transfusion, operative time, duration of hospital stay postsurgery, and documentation of any perioperative complications., Results: Eighty-five patients were recruited. The mean age for the whole cohort was 16.2 ± 5.2 years old. The mean age of Group 1 was 16.7 ± 5.7 and Group 2 was 15.6 ± 4.8 years old. The majority of the patients in both groups were Lenke 2 curves with the average Cobb angle of 93.9 ± 3.0° in Group 1 and 114.2 ± 10.2° in Group 2. The average operative time was 198.5 ± 47.5 minutes with an average blood loss of 1699.5 ± 939.3 mL. The allogeneic blood transfusion rate was 17.6%. The average length of stay postoperation was 71.6 ± 22.5 hours. When comparing the patients between Group 1 and Group 2, the operating time, total blood loss, allogeneic transfusion rate showed significant intergroup differences. Five complications were documented (one intraoperative seizure, one massive blood loss, one intraoperative loss of somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) signal, and two superficial wound breakdown)., Conclusion: Dual attending surgeon strategy in severe AIS more than or equal to 90° demonstrated an average operative time of 199 minutes, intraoperative blood loss of 1.7 L, postoperative hospital stay of 71.6 hours, and a complication rate of 5.9% (5/85 patients). Curves with Cobb angle more than 100° lead to longer operating time, greater blood loss, and allogeneic transfusion rate., Level of Evidence: 4.

Study Design: A retrospective study., Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the perioperative outcome of posterior spinal fusion (PSF) between overweight (OW) adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients and the healthy-weight (HW) patients using propensity score matching analysis., Summary of Background Data: Obesity was found to increase postoperative surgical complications compared with the nonobese group. In scoliosis correction surgery, association of OW and perioperative risks had been explored, but most studies were retrospective in nature., Methods: From 374 patients, two comparable groups were matched using propensity score matching analysis with one-to-one nearest neighbor matching and a caliper of 0.2. There were 46 HW and OW patients in each group. The main outcome measures were intraoperative blood loss, use of allogeneic blood transfusion, operative time, duration of hospital stay post-surgery, total patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) morphine usage, perioperative complications, side bending flexibility (SBF), and correction rate (%)., Results: The mean age was 13.3 ± 1.7 and 13.2 ± 1.7 years for HW and OW groups, respectively. The majority of the patients were Lenke 1 curves; 32.6% (HW) and 26.1% (OW) with an average Cobb angle of 69.0 ± 19.1° and 68.8 ± 18.4° for each group, respectively. The two groups were comparable. The operation time was 145.2 ± 42.2 and 154.4 ± 48.3 minutes for HW and OW groups, respectively (P > 0.05). The intraoperative blood loss was almost similar in both groups; 955.1 ± 497.7 mL (HW group) and 1011.8 ± 552.7 mL (OW group) (P > 0.05). Total PCA morphine used was higher in OW group (30.4 ± 22.7 mg) than in the HW group (16.2 ± 11.3 mg). No complication was observed in HW group, while in OW group, one patient (2.2%) developed intraoperative seizure., Conclusion: OW AIS patients (≥85th percentile) had similar mean operative time, intraoperative blood loss, allogeneic transfusion rate, length of stay, and perioperative complications compared with HW AIS patients., Level of Evidence: 3.

Study Design: Case report., Objective: To describe the technical difficulties on performing posterior spinal fusion (PSF) on a pacemaker-dependent patient with complete congenital heart block and right thoracic scoliosis., Summary of Background Data: Congenital complete heart block requires pacemaker implantation at birth through thoracotomy, which can result in scoliosis. Corrective surgery in this patient was challenging. Height gain after corrective surgery may potentially cause lead dislodgement. The usage of monopolar electrocautery may interfere with the function of the implanted cardiac device., Methods: A 17-year-old boy was referred to our institution for the treatment of right thoracic scoliosis of 70°. He had underlying complete congenital heart block secondary to maternal systemic lupus erythematosus. Pacemaker was implanted through thoracotomy since birth and later changed for four times. PSF was performed by two attending surgeons with a temporary pacing inserted before the surgery. The monopolar electrocautery device was used throughout the surgery., Results: The PSF was successfully performed without any technical issues and complications. Postoperatively, his permanent pacemaker was functioning normally. Three days later, he was recovering well and was discharged home from hospital., Conclusion: This case indicates that PSF can be performed successfully with thoughtful anticipation of technical difficulties on a pacemaker-dependent patient with underlying congenital heart block., Level of Evidence: 5.

Background Context: In Lenke 1C and 2C curves, the choice between selective thoracic fusion (STF) versus non-selective thoracic fusion as the optimal surgical treatment is controversial., Objective: This study aimed to assess the radiological and clinical outcome of patients with Lenke 1C and 2C curves treated with STF., Study Design: This is a retrospective study., Patient Sample: A total of 44 patients comprised the study sample., Methods: Forty-four patients with Lenke 1C and 2C curves with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis who underwent STF were reviewed. Radiological parameters and Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)-22r scores were assessed preoperatively, postoperatively, and on final follow-up. The incidence of coronal decompensation, lumbar decompensation, and adding-on phenomenon were reported., Results: Mean follow-up duration was 45.1±12.3 months and mean age was 17.0±5.1 years. The preoperative middle thoracic and thoracolumbar/lumbar (MT:TL/L) Cobb angle ratio was 1.4±0.3 and the MT:TL/L apical vertebra translation (AVT) ratio was 1.6±0.8. Final follow-up coronal balance was -13.0±11.5 mm, main thoracic AVT was 6.9±11.8 mm, and lumbar AVT was -20.4±13.8 mm (p<.05). Lumbar Cobb angle improved from 47.5°±7.8° to 24.9°±8.2° after operation and 23.3°±9.8° at final follow-up. The spontaneous lumbar curve correction rate was 50.9%. There were 9 patients (20.5%) who had coronal decompensation, 4 patients (9.1%) who had lumbar decompensation, and 11 patients (25.0%) who had adding-on phenomenon. We did not perform any revision surgery. The SRS-22r scores improved significantly in the overall scores, self-image, and mental health domain., Conclusions: Selective thoracic fusion led to improvement in the radiological and clinical outcome for patients with Lenke 1C and 2C. Although no patients required revision surgery, the rate of coronal decompensation, lumbar decompensation, and adding-on phenomenon are significant., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Study Design: Retrospective study., Objective: To investigate the association between postoperative upper instrumented vertebrae (UIV) tilt angle with postoperative medial shoulder and neck imbalance., Summary of Background Data: Studies had found that current recommendations for UIV selection were not predictive of good postoperative shoulder balance., Methods: A total of 98 patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with Lenke 1/2 curves who underwent posterior spinal fusion between 2013 and 2014 with minimum follow-up of 2 years were recruited. Radiological parameters: UIV tilt angle, T1 tilt, cervical axis, and clavicle angle were measured preoperatively, postoperatively, and at final follow-up., Results: Mean age was 16.2 ± 6.2 years. Mean follow-up was 37.9 ± 6.5 months. There were 73.5% Lenke 1 and 26.5% Lenke 2 curves. Significant factors affecting postoperative T1 Tilt were postoperative UIV tilt angle, preoperative T1 tilt, and preoperative UIV tilt angle. Postoperative UIV tilt angle and preoperative cervical axis were significant factors affecting cervical axis at final follow-up. UIV level was not significant independent factor that affected postoperative T1 tilt and cervical axis. There was strong correlation between postoperative UIV tilt angle and T1 tilt for the whole cohort (P < 0.001), when UIV was at T2 (P < 0.001), T3 (P < 0.001), and T4 (P < 0.001). Postoperative UIV tilt angle also had significant correlation with cervical axis when UIV was at T2 (P = 0.021) and T3 (P = 0.009)., Conclusion: Postoperative UIV tilt angle was an independent factor, which had significant correlation with postoperative T1 tilt and cervical axis measurement. There was strong correlation between postoperative UIV tilt angle and T1 tilt for the whole cohort, when UIV was at T3 and T4. There was very strong correlation between postoperative UIV tilt angle and T1 tilt when UIV was at T2. There was also moderate and significant correlation between postoperative UIV tilt angle and cervical axis for the whole cohort., Level of Evidence: 2.

Background: Drugs used in anesthesia can affect somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) monitoring, which is used routinely for intraoperative monitoring of spinal cord integrity during spinal surgery., Objective: The objective of this study was to determine whether combined total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) technique with propofol/remifentanil is associated with less SSEP suppression when compared to combined volatile agent desflurane/remifentanil anesthesia during corrective scoliosis surgery at a comparable depth of anesthesia., Design: It is a randomized controlled trial., Setting: The study was conducted at the Single tertiary University Hospital during October 2014 to June 2015., Patients: Patients who required SSEP and had no neurological deficits, and were of American Society of Anesthesiologist I and II physical status, were included. Patients who had sensory or motor deficits preoperatively and significant cardiovascular and respiratory disease were excluded. A total of 72 patients were screened, and 67 patients were randomized and allocated to two groups: 34 in desflurane/remifentanil group and 33 in TIVA group. Four patients from desflurane/remifentanil group and three from TIVA group were withdrawn due to decrease in SSEP amplitude to <0.3 µV after induction of anesthesia. Thirty patients from each group were analyzed., Interventions: Sixty-seven patients were randomized to receive TIVA or desflurane/remifentanil anesthesia., Main Outcome Measures: The measurements taken were the amplitude and latency of SSEP monitoring at five different time points during surgery: before and after the induction of anesthesia, at skin incision, at pedicle screw insertion, and at rod insertion., Results: Both anesthesia techniques, TIVA and desflurane/remifentanil, resulted in decreased amplitude and increased latencies of both cervical and cortical peaks. The desflurane/remifentanil group had a significantly greater reduction in the amplitude ( p = 0.004) and an increase in latency ( p = 0.002) of P40 compared with the TIVA group. However, there were no differences in both amplitude ( p = 0.214) and latency ( p = 0.16) in cervical SSEP between the two groups., Conclusions: Compared with TIVA technique, desflurane/remifentanil anesthesia caused more suppression in cortical SSEP, but not in cervical SSEP, at a comparable depth of anesthesia.

Background Context: Selection of upper instrumented vertebra for Lenke 5 and 6 curves remains debatable, and several authors have described different selection strategies., Objective: This study analyzed the flexibility of the unfused thoracic segments above the "potential upper instrumented vertebrae (UIV)" (T1-T12) and its compensatory ability in Lenke 5 and 6 curves using supine side bending (SSB) radiographs., Study Design: A retrospective study was used., Patient Sample: This study comprised 100 patients., Outcome Measures: The ability of the unfused thoracic segments above the potential UIV, that is, T1-T12, to compensate in Lenke 5 and 6 curves was determined. We also analyzed postoperative radiological outcome of this cohort of patients with a minimum follow-up of 12 months., Methods: Right and left SSB were obtained. Right side bending (RSB) and left side bending (LSB) angles were measured from T1 to T12. Compensatory ability of thoracic segments was defined as the ability to return to neutral (center sacral vertical line [CSVL]) with the assumption of maximal correction of lumbar curve with a horizontal UIV. The Lenke 5 curves were classified as follows: (1) Lenke 5-ve (mobile): main thoracic Cobb angle <15° and (2) Lenke 5+ve (stiff): main thoracic Cobb angle 15.0°-24.9°. This study was self-funded with no conflict of interest., Results: There were 43 Lenke 5-ve, 31 Lenke 5+ve, and 26 Lenke 6 curves analyzed. For Lenke 5-ve, >70% of thoracic segments were able to compensate when UIV were at T1-T8 and T12 and >50% at T9-T11. For Lenke 5+ve, >70% at T1-T6 and T12, 61.3% at T7, 38.7% at T8, 3.2% at T9, 6.5% at T10, and 22.6% at T11 were able to compensate. For Lenke 6 curve, >70% at T1-T6, 69.2% at T7, 19.2% at T8, 7.7% at T9, 0% at T10, 3.8% at T11, and 34.6% at T12 were able to compensate. There was a significant difference between Lenke 5-ve versus Lenke 5+ve and Lenke 5-ve versus Lenke 6 from T8 to T11. There were no significance differences between Lenke 5+ve and Lenke 6 curves from T1 to T11., Conclusions: The compensatory ability of the unfused thoracic segment of Lenke 5+ve curves was different from the Lenke 5-ve curves, and it demonstrated characteristics similar to the Lenke 6 curves., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Study Design: A prospective cohort study., Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of an accelerated recovery protocol for Asian adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion (PSF)., Summary of Background Data: There has been successful implementation of an accelerated recovery protocol for AIS patients undergoing PSF in the western population. No similar studies have been reported in the Asian population., Methods: Seventy-four AIS (65 F, 9 M) patients scheduled for PSF surgery were recruited. The accelerated protocol encompasses preoperative regime, preoperative day of surgery counseling, intraoperative strategies, an accelerated postoperative rehabilitation and pain management regime. All patients were operated using a dual attending surgeon strategy. Outcome measures included pain scores at five time intervals, length of stay, and detailed recovery milestones. Any complications or readmissions during the first 4 months postoperative period were recorded., Results: Mean duration of operation was 2.2 ± 0.3 hours with a mean blood loss of 824.3 ± 418.2 mL. No patients received allogenic blood transfusion. The mean length of stay was 3.6 ± 0.6 days. Surgical wound pain score was 6.4 ± 2.1 at 12 hours, which reduced to 5.0 ± 2.0 at 60 hours. Abdominal pain peaked at 36 hours with pain scores 2.4 ± 2.9. First liquid intake was at 5.2 ± 7.5 hours, urinary catheter removal at 18.7 ± 4.8 hours, sitting up at 20.6 ± 9.1 hours, ambulation at 27.2 ± 0.5 hours, consumption of solid food at 32.2 ± 0.5 hours, first flatus at 39.0 ± 0.7 hours, and first bowel movement at 122.1 ± 2.0 hours. The complication rate was 1.4% due to superficial wound infection with one patient failed to comply with the accelerated protocol., Conclusion: An accelerated recovery protocol following PSF for AIS is feasible without increasing the complication or readmission rates. The total length of stay was 3.6 days and this is comparable with the outcome in western population., Level of Evidence: 4.

Purpose: This study aimed at studying the accuracy and safety of extra-pedicular screw insertion for dysplastic pedicles in AIS comparing cannulated screw system versus conventional screw system., Methods: 104 AIS patients with 1524 pedicle screws were evaluated using CT scan. 302 screws were inserted in dysplastic pedicles using fluoroscopic guidance technique. 155 screws were inserted using a cannulated system (Group 1), whereas 147 screws were inserted using standard screws (Group 2). The pedicle perforations were assessed using a classification by Rao et al.; G0: no violation; G1: <2 mm perforation; G2: 2-4 mm perforation; and G3: >4 mm perforation). For anterior perforations, the pedicle perforations were assessed using a modified grading system (Grade 0: no violation, Grade 1: less than 4 mm perforation; Grade 2: 4 mm to 6 mm perforation; and Grade 3: more than 6 mm perforation)., Results: The perforation rate in Group 1 was 4.5% and in Group 2 was 15.6% (p = 0.001). Most of the perforations were anterior perforations (53.3%). The anterior perforation rate in Group 1 was 1.9% compared to 8.8% in Group 2 (p = 0.009). Group 1 has a medial perforation rate of 1.3% compared to Group 2, 6.1% (p = 0.031). The rate of critical pedicle perforation in Group 1 was 2.6% and in Group 2 was 6.8% (p = 0.102). In Group 1, there were no critical medial perforation but there was one G2 lateral perforation, one G2 superior perforation and two G3 anterior perforations. In Group 2, there were three G2 medial perforations, one G2 lateral perforation, one G2 anterior perforation and five G3 anterior perforations., Conclusion: Usage of cannulated screw system significantly increases the accuracy of pedicle screw insertion in dysplastic pedicles in AIS.

Study Design: Randomized controlled trial., Objective: The present study investigated the effectiveness of chewing gum on promoting faster bowel function and its ability to hasten recovery for patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) after posterior spinal fusion (PSF) surgery., Summary of Background Data: Sham feeding with chewing gum had been reported to reduce the incidence of postoperative ileus by accelerating recovery of bowel function., Methods: We prospectively recruited and randomized 60 patients with AIS scheduled for PSF surgery into treatment (chewing gum) and control group. The patient-controlled anesthesia usage, wound pain score, abdominal pain score, nausea score, and abdominal girth were assessed and recorded at 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 hours postoperatively. The timing for the first fluid intake, first oral intake, sitting up, walking, first flatus after surgery, first bowel opening after surgery, and duration of hospital stay were also assessed and recorded., Results: We found that there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in patient-controlled anesthesia usage, wound pain score, abdominal pain score, nausea score, and abdominal girth between treatment (chewing gum) and control groups. We also found that there were no significant difference (P > 0.05) in postoperative recovery parameters, which were the first fluid intake, first oral intake, sitting up after surgery, walking after surgery, first flatus after surgery, first bowel opening after surgery, and duration of hospital stay between both groups. The wound pain was the worst at 12 hours postoperatively, which progressively improved in both groups. The abdominal pain progressively worsened to the highest score at 48 hours in the treatment group and 36 hours in the control group before improving after that. The pattern of severity and recovery of wound pain and abdominal pain was different., Conclusion: We found that chewing gum did not significantly reduce the abdominal pain, promote faster bowel function, or hasten patient recovery., Level of Evidence: 1.

Study Design: A prospective cohort study., Objective: The aim of this study was to determine and evaluate the trajectory of surgical wound pain from day 1 to day 14 after posterior spinal fusion (PSF) surgery in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS)., Summary of Background Data: Information regarding how the postoperative pain improves with time offers invaluable information not only to the patients and parents but also to assist the clinician in managing postoperative pain., Methods: AIS patients who were planned for elective PSF surgery from September 2015 to December 2015 were prospectively recruited into this study. All patients underwent a similar pain management regimen with patient-controlled anesthesia (PCA) morphine, acetaminophen, celecoxib, and oxycodone hydrochloride., Results: A total of 40 patients (36 F:4 M) were recruited. The visual analogue score (VAS) pain score was highest at 12 hours postoperation (6.0 ± 2.3). It reduced to 3.9 ± 2.2 (day 4), 1.9 ± 1.6 (day 7), and 0.7 ± 1.1 (day 14). The total PCA usage in all patients was 12.4 ± 9.9 mg (first 12 hours), 7.1 ± 8.0 mg (12 to 24 hours), 5.6 ± 6.9 (24-36 hours), and 2.1 ± 6.1 mg (36-48 hours). The celecoxib capsules usage was reducing from 215.0 ± 152.8 mg at 24 hours to 55.0 ± 90.4 mg on day 14. The acetaminophen usage was reducing from 2275 ± 1198 mg at 24 hours to 150 ± 483 mg at day 14. Oxycodone hydrochloride capsules consumption rose to the peak of 1.4 ± 2.8 mg on day 4 before gradually reducing to none by day 13., Conclusion: With an adequate postoperation pain regimen, significant pain should subside to a tolerable level by postoperative day 4 and negligible by postoperative day 7. Patient usually can be discharged on postoperative day 4 when the usage of PCA morphine was not required., Level of Evidence: 2.

Background: Massive blood loss during posterior spinal fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis remains a significant risk for patients. There is no consensus on the benefit of acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) or intraoperative cell salvage (ICS) in scoliosis surgery., Methods: Patients were randomized to one of two groups. Group A received ANH and ICS during operation, while group B received only ICS. Patients' age, sex, height, weight, body blood volume, number of fusion level, Cobb angle, number of screws, duration of surgery, and skin incision length were recorded. Hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were obtained preoperatively and postoperatively (0 h and 24 h)., Results: There were 22 patients in each group. There was no significant difference in total blood loss. The perioperative decrease in hemoglobin levels between preoperation and postoperation 24 h (group A 2.79 ± 1.15 and group B 2.76 ± 1.00) showed no significant difference ( p = 0.93). Group A observed a larger decrease in hemoglobin levels at postoperative 0 h relative to preoperative level (2.57 ± 0.82 g/dl), followed by a smaller decrease within the next 24 h (0.22 ± 1.33 g/dl). Group B showed a continued drop in hemoglobin levels of similar magnitude at postoperation 0 h (1.60 ± 0.67 g/dl) and within the next 24 h (1.16 ± 0.78 g/dl). One patient from group B received 1 unit of allogenic blood transfusion ( p = 0.33)., Conclusions: The addition of ANH to ICS in posterior spinal fusion surgery for AIS resulted in a similar decrease in hemoglobin levels between preoperative values and at 24 h postoperatively.

Study Design: Retrospective review of CT scan., Objective: To investigate the accuracy and safety of pedicle screws placed in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients., Summary of Background Data: The reported pedicle screws perforation rates for corrective AIS surgery vary widely from 1.2% to 65.0%. Knowledge regarding the safety of pedicle screws in scoliosis surgery is very important in preventing complications., Methods: This study investigates the accuracy and safety of pedicle screws placed in 140 AIS patients. CT scans were used to assess the perforations that were classified according to Rao et al (2002): grade 0, grade 1 (<2 mm), grade 2 (2-4 mm), and grade 3 (>4 mm). Anterior perforations were classified into grade 0, grade 1 (<4 mm), grade 2 (4-6 mm), and grade 3 (>6 mm). Grade 2 and 3 (excluding lateral grade 2 and 3 perforation over thoracic vertebrae) were considered as critical perforations., Results: A total of 2020 pedicle screws from 140 patients were analyzed. The overall total perforation rate was 20.3% (410 screws) with 8.2% (166 screws) grade 1, 2.9% (58 screws) grade 2 and 9.2% (186 screws) grade 3 perforations. Majority of the perforations was because of lateral perforation occurring over the thoracic region, as a result of application of extrapedicular screws at this region. When the lateral perforations of the thoracic region were excluded, the perforation rate was 6.4% (129 screws), grade 2, 1.4% (28 screws) and grade 3, 0.8% (16 screws). There were only two symptomatic left medial grade 2 perforations: one screw at T12 presented with postoperative iliac crest numbness and another screw at L2 presented with radicular pain that subsided with conservative treatment. There were six anterior perforations abutting the right lung, four anterior perforations abutting the aorta, two anterior perforations abutting the esophagus, and one abutting the trachea was noted., Conclusion: Pedicle screws insertion in AIS has a total perforation rate of 20.3%. After exclusion of lateral thoracic perforations, the overall perforation rate was 8.6% with a critical perforation rate of 2.2% (44/2020). The rate of symptomatic screw perforation leading to radicular symptoms was 0.1%. There was no spinal cord, aortic, esophageal, or lung injuries caused by malpositioned screws in this study., Level of Evidence: 4.

Study Design: Case report., Objective: To report the successful rehabilitation and the training progress of an elite high performance martial art exponent after selective thoracic fusion for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS)., Summary of Background Data: Posterior spinal fusion for AIS will result in loss of spinal flexibility. The process of rehabilitation after posterior spinal fusion for AIS remains controversial and there are few reports of return to elite sports performance after posterior spinal fusion for AIS., Methods: We report a case of a 25-year-old lady who was a national Wu Shu exponent. She was a Taolu (Exhibition) exponent. She underwent Selective Thoracic Fusion (T4 to T12) using alternate level pedicle screw placement augmented with autogenous local bone graft in June 2014. She commenced her training at 3-month postsurgery and the intensity of her training was increased after 6 months postsurgery. We followed her up to 2 years postsurgery and showed no instrumentation failure or lost of correction., Results: After selective thoracic fusion, her training process consisted of mainly speed training, core strengthening, limb strengthening, and flexibility exercises. At 17 months of postoperation, she participated in 13th World Wu Shu Championship 2015 and won the silver medal., Conclusion: Return to elite high-performance martial arts sports was possible after selective thoracic fusion for AIS. The accelerated and intensive training regime did not lead to any instrumentation failure and complications., Level of Evidence: 2.

Background Context: With an increased cost of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) surgery over the past 10 years, improvement of patient safety and optimization of the surgical management of AIS has become an important need. A dual attending surgeon strategy resulted in reduction of blood loss and complication rate., Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the perioperative outcome of posterior selective thoracic fusion in Lenke 1 and 2 AIS patients comparing a single versus a dual attending surgeon strategy., Study Design: A prospective cohort study was carried out., Patient Sample: The study sample comprised 60 patients OUTCOME MEASURE: Operative duration, blood loss, postoperative hemoglobin, need for transfusion, morphine usage, and duration of hospital stay were the outcome measures., Methods: A total of 116 patients who underwent posterior selective thoracic fusion from two centers were prospectively recruited. The patients were grouped into Group 1 (single surgeon) and Group 2 (two surgeons). One-to-one matching analysis using "propensity score-matched cohort patient sampling method" was done for age, gender, height, weight, preoperative Cobb angle, number of fusion level, and Lenke classification. The outcome measures included operative duration, blood loss, postoperative hemoglobin, need for transfusion, morphine usage, and duration of hospital stay. This study was self-funded with no conflict of interest., Results: From 86 patients who were operated by the two surgeons (Group 2), 30 patients were matched with 30 patients who were operated by a single surgeon (Group 1). Group 2 (164.0±25.7 min) has a significantly shorter operation duration (p=.000) compared with Group 1 (257.3±51.4 min). The total blood loss was significantly more (p=.009) in Group 1 (1254.7±521.5 mL) compared with Group 2 (893.7±518.4 mL). There were seven patients (23.3%) in Group 1 who received allogenic blood transfusion (p<.05). The morphine usage and average hospital stay were significantly lower in Group 2, 22.4±10.7 mg and 3.4±0.7 days, respectively (p<.05). In Group 1, there was one patient who developed a superficial wound infection. No other major complications were noted., Conclusions: A dual attending surgeon strategy was superior to a single surgeon strategy in posterior selective thoracic fusion in Lenke 1 and 2 AIS patients and will lead to a faster operation, reduced intraoperative blood loss, reduced risk of allogenic transfusion, reduced morphine requirement, and shorter hospital stay., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To assess the pattern of intra-operative blood loss at various surgical stages comparing between single and two surgeons., Methods: Lenke 1 and 2 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients who underwent instrumented posterior spinal fusion (PSF) surgery from two centres between June 2014 and December 2015 were prospectively recruited into this study. The patients were grouped into Group 1 (single surgeon) and Group 2 (two surgeons). One to one matching using 'prospective propensity score-matched cohort patient sampling method' was done. The surgery was divided into six stages: stage 1-exposure, stage 2-screw insertion, stage 3-release, stage 4-correction, stage 5-corticotomies and bone grafting and stage 6-closure., Results: A total of 116 patients were recruited. Of 86 patients who were operated by the two surgeons, 30 patients were matched with 30 patients that were operated by a single surgeon. Operation duration was significantly longer in Group 1 (257.3 ± 51.4 min) compared to Group 2 (164.0 ± 25.7 min). The total blood loss was significantly higher in Group 1 (1254.7 ± 521.5 mL) compared to Group 2 (893.7 ± 518.4 mL). Total blood loss/level fused was significantly higher in Group 1 (117.5 ± 42.8 mL/level) compared to Group 2 (82.6 ± 39.4 mL/level). Group 1 had significantly higher blood loss and blood loss/level fused for stages 1, 2 and 3. Group 2 had lower incidence of allogenic blood transfusion., Conclusions: In PSF surgery for AIS patients, two-surgeon strategy was associated with shorter operation duration, lesser blood loss and lower incidence of allogenic blood transfusion.

Segawa's syndrome or dopa-responsive dystonia is a rare hereditary disorder characterized by progressive dystonia of childhood onset, diurnal fluctuation of symptoms and complete or near complete alleviation of symptoms with administration of low-dose oral levodopa. From our literature search in PubMed, we found only three related publications: two on anesthesia for cesarean section and one on anesthesia for electroconvulsive therapy. We report our experience in providing anesthesia for corrective scoliosis surgery in two biological sisters with Segawa's syndrome. A review of the literature is also included.