Multilevel spinal reconstruction in pediatric patients under 4 years old with non-congenital pathology (10-year single-center cohort study)
Alexander Yu Mushkin, Denis G. Naumov, Valery A. Evseev
May 2019, Volume 28, Issue 5, pp 1035 - 1043 Original Article Read Full Article 10.1007/s00586-018-5756-0
First Online: 07 September 2018
Purpose
To evaluate the influence of anterior fusion option on the short- and long-time outcomes on multilevel spinal reconstructions in young children.
Methods
Forty-five patients aged under 4 years old (2 years 2 months ± 11 months in average) underwent spinal reconstruction due to tuberculosis spondylitis (35), pyogenic spondylitis (9) and spinal tumors (1) complicated by angular kyphosis exceeded 20° (49.2° ± 14.3° in average). All lesions involved two or more spinal motion segments. Clinical and radiographic data were compared in two groups depended on the types of anterior fusion: titanium mesh cage with bone graft (TMC + BG) (19 patients) and cortical BG only (26). The average follow-up was 5 years 10 months ± 2 years 8 months (min = 3 years; max = 12 years).
Results
The deformity correction was similar in groups. The operation time and blood loss were less in TMC + BG group (p = 0.001) as a times for anterior bone block formation (p < 0.001) and posterior instrumentation removal (p = 0.003). Ten late post-op complications registered include disease’s recurrence (1), pseudoarthrosis (6), deformity progression (1) and graft resorption (1). The complication rate was less in TMC + BG than in BG group: two and eight cases consequently, p = 0.024.
Conclusions
Multilevel spinal reconstruction in early aged patients is safe and effective procedure. The anterior fusion by TMC with bone autograft has advantages of reducing blood loss, operation time, time for anterior block formation and complications rate compared with bone autograft only.
Graphical abstract
These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.[Figure not available: see fulltext.]
Read Full Article