TY - JOUR
T1 - At Mean 30-Year Follow-Up, Cervical Spine Disease Is Common and Associated with Thoracic Hypokyphosis after Pediatric Treatment of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
AU - Young, Ernest
AU - Regan, Christina
AU - Currier, Bradford L.
AU - Yaszemski, Michael J.
AU - Larson, A. Noelle
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors.
PY - 2022/10
Y1 - 2022/10
N2 - Patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) often have reduced sagittal thoracic kyphosis (hypokyphosis) and cervical lordosis causing an uneven distribution of physiologic load. However, the long-term consequences of hypokyphosis in AIS patients have not been previously documented. To evaluate whether uneven load distribution leads to future complications in patients with AIS, we conducted a retrospective chart review and subsequently surveyed 180 patients treated for idiopathic scoliosis between 1975 and 1992. These patients all had a minimum follow-up time of 20 years since their treatment. We observed a ten-fold increase in the incidence of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) compared to reported rates in the non-pathologic population. Out of the 180 patients, 33 patients met the criteria and returned for follow-up radiographs. This population demonstrated a statistically significant increased rate of cervical osteoarthritis and disc degeneration. Overall, our study suggests that hypokyphosis in patients with AIS presents with increased rates of cervical spine degeneration and dysfunction, suggesting that these patients may require additional follow-up and treatment.
AB - Patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) often have reduced sagittal thoracic kyphosis (hypokyphosis) and cervical lordosis causing an uneven distribution of physiologic load. However, the long-term consequences of hypokyphosis in AIS patients have not been previously documented. To evaluate whether uneven load distribution leads to future complications in patients with AIS, we conducted a retrospective chart review and subsequently surveyed 180 patients treated for idiopathic scoliosis between 1975 and 1992. These patients all had a minimum follow-up time of 20 years since their treatment. We observed a ten-fold increase in the incidence of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) compared to reported rates in the non-pathologic population. Out of the 180 patients, 33 patients met the criteria and returned for follow-up radiographs. This population demonstrated a statistically significant increased rate of cervical osteoarthritis and disc degeneration. Overall, our study suggests that hypokyphosis in patients with AIS presents with increased rates of cervical spine degeneration and dysfunction, suggesting that these patients may require additional follow-up and treatment.
KW - adolescent idiopathic scoliosis
KW - cervical spine degeneration
KW - hypokyphosis
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U2 - 10.3390/jcm11206064
DO - 10.3390/jcm11206064
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85140925178
SN - 2077-0383
VL - 11
JO - Journal of Clinical Medicine
JF - Journal of Clinical Medicine
IS - 20
M1 - 6064
ER -