Paediatric Spinal Deformity Surgery: Complications and Their Management

Developmental delay increases risk for complications within 30 days of pediatric spinal fusion surgery

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to investigate whether developmental delay is a risk factor for postoperative complications following pediatric spinal fusion.

METHODS

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Pediatric database was queried to retrospectively identify patients who had undergone spinal fusions between 2016 and 2021. The study population was divided into two distinct groups 1) Patients with developmental delay 2) who have no delay. T-tests for continuous variables and chi-square tests for categorical variables were used to identify differences in perioperative characteristics between the two groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis assessed the effect of preoperative developmental delay on post-operative surgical outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 32,621 pediatric spinal fusion patients were identified, of which 7,637 had developmental delay and 24,984 had no delay. The developmental delay group had a higher rate of surgical complications and medical complications (5.38% vs 1.41%, p < 0.001). Developmental delay independently increased the risk for medical complications (OR: 1.099, 95% CI: (1.009-1.978), surgical complications (OR: 1.4833, 95% CI (1.197-1.838), extended hospital LOS (OR: 1.250, 95% CI (1.028-1.518), intensive care unit stay (OR: 1.333, 95% CI (1.227-1.446), and death (OR: 9.638, 95% CI: 2.150-68.700) following a multivariate logistic regression analysis.

CONCLUSION

Patients with developmental delay undergoing pediatric spinal fusion had an increased risk for surgical complications. The findings of this study serve as a valuable resource in aiding surgeons in preoperative risk assessment and in facilitating comprehensive discussions with patients and their caregivers.

Spinal deformity surgery in Scheuermann's kyphosis versus adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: meta-analysis of complications and clinical outcomes

BACKGROUND

Surgical management of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and Scheuermann's kyphosis (SK) may be associated with several complications including extended length of stay and unplanned reoperations. Several studies have previously compared postoperative complications and functional outcomes for AIS and SK patients with mixed results. However, a meta-analysis compiling the literature on this topic is lacking.

METHODS

Following the PRISMA guidelines, PubMed, Cochrane, and Google Scholar (pages 1-20) were accessed and explored until April 2024. The extracted data consisted of complications (overall and surgical-site infections [SSI]), readmissions, reoperations, and Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) score. Mean differences (MD) with 95% CI were used for continuous data and odds ratio (OR) was utilized for dichotomous data were calculated across studies.

RESULTS

Seven retrospective articles were included in the meta-analysis, including 4866 patients, with 399 in the SK group and 4467 in the AIS group. SK patients were found to have statistically significantly higher rates of overall complications (OR = 5.41; 95% CI 3.69-7.93, p < .001), SSI (OR = 11.30; 95% CI 6.14-20.82, p < .001), readmissions (OR = 2.81; 95% CI 1.21-6.53, p = 0.02), and reoperations (OR = 7.40; 95% CI 4.76-11.51, p < .001) than AIS patients. However, they had similar SRS-22 scores postoperatively (MD = -0.06; 95% CI -0.16 to 0.04, p = 0.26) despite the SK group having lower SRS-22 scores preoperatively (MD = -0.30; 95% CI -0.42 to -0.18, p < .001).

CONCLUSION

In this meta-analysis of studies comparing spinal deformity surgery outcomes in AIS and SK patients, SK was associated with more complications, readmissions, and reoperations. SK did have equivalent SRS-22 scores postoperatively to AIS patients, highlighting the benefit of surgical treatment despite higher complication rates. This data may help inform healthcare institutions, payors, and quality monitoring organizations who examine outcomes of pediatric and adult spinal deformity surgery.

Intra-operative neuromonitoring in paediatric spinal deformity surgery: a retrospective single-centre experience

INTRODUCTION

Intra-operative neuromonitoring including somatosensory evoked potentials, motor evoked potentials, and electromyography, have replaced the Stagnara wake-up test to allow early detection of neurological change during paediatric spinal deformity surgery. It is important for surgeons to recognize alerts triggered by loss of these potentials and act accordingly to prevent iatrogenic neurological damage intra-operatively. This study was conducted to determine the sensitivity and specificity of neuromonitoring alerts in paediatric spinal deformity correction surgery.

METHODS

A retrospective single-centre study of all patients undergoing spinal deformity surgery at a tertiary paediatric centre between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2020 (inclusive) was conducted. Neuromonitoring alerts were identified through neurophysiology documentation, and these were correlated with neurological deficits documented in the patient record post-operatively.

RESULTS

A total of 399 operations were included in the study, with 147 (35.7%) of these having a motor, or motor and sensory alert triggered. Fifteen (10.2% of alerts) of these patients had a post-operative neurological deficit, compared to seven (2.8% of no alerts) of those that had no neuromonitoring alert. The sensitivity for post-operative neurological deficits not resolving within 3 days was 100%, and the specificity was 65.5%.

CONCLUSION

Intra-operative neuromonitoring is highly sensitive to post-operative neurological deficits lasting longer than 3 days. However, there is still scope for optimization of specificity, with many false positives identified.

Comparison of the inter-laminar approach and laminotomy open approach for filum terminale lipoma: A retrospective analysis

PURPOSE

Filum terminale lipoma (FTL) causes spinal-cord tethering and is associated with tethered-cord syndrome, which is treated by dissection of the entrapment. The conventional treatment for FTL involves dissection of the spinal cord through a laminotomy open approach (LOA). However, in recent years, the interlaminar approach (ILA) has gained popularity as a minimally invasive surgery. This study compares the effectiveness of the minimally invasive ILA with the conventional LOA in treating FTL.

METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated data on the ILA and LOA for FTL at our center. In total, 103 participants were enrolled, including 55 in the ILA group and 48 in the LOA group.

RESULTS

The ILA required significantly less surgical time and resulted in less blood loss. The improvement rate of symptoms in symptomatic patients was 84%, and for urinary symptoms and abnormal urodynamic study findings, it was 77%. The postoperative maintenance rate for asymptomatic patients was 100%. Postoperative complications of ILA included delayed wound healing in two patients (3.6%).

CONCLUSION

Compared with LOA, ILA offers advantages in terms of shorter operative time and less blood loss, with no significant difference in long-term symptom-improvement rates between the groups.

The impact of halo-pelvic traction on sagittal kyphosis in the treatment of severe scoliosis and kyphoscoliosis

BACKGROUND

Halo-pelvic traction (HPT) is acknowledged for enhancing pulmonary function and reducing neurological complications in severe and rigid scoliosis and kyphoscoliosis. While its role in improving coronal balance is established, its impact on sagittal kyphosis remains under-researched. This study aims to assess HPT's effects on sagittal alignment in these conditions.

METHODS

A retrospective review of 37 patients with severe and rigid scoliosis or kyphoscoliosis was conducted to evaluate HPT's efficacy. The analysis focused on the impact of HPT on coronal and sagittal parameters, pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and complications. Radiographic assessments included main cobb angle in coronal, sagittal major kyphosis.

RESULTS

HPT was applied for an average of 2.9 months, significantly reducing the primary coronal curve from 127.7°±30.3° to 74.9°±28.3° (P < 0.05), achieving a 41.3% correction rate. Sagittal kyphosis correction was more pronounced, with angles decreasing from 80.4°±26.4° to 41.3°±24.4° (P < 0.05), resulting in a 48.6% correction rate. Pulmonary function tests showed improvements in forced vital capacity (FVC) (from 1.32 ± 0.91 to 1.55 ± 0.83) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) (from 1.03 ± 0.76 to 1.28 ± 0.72), with percentage predicted values also increasing (FVC%: 40.4%±24.3-51.4%±23.1%; FEV1%: 37.8%±25.2-48.1%±22.7%; all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

HPT effectively reduces spinal deformity severity and improves pulmonary function in patients with severe and rigid scoliosis and kyphoscoliosis. Sagittal kyphosis correction was notably greater than coronal scoliosis correction. The correlation between PFT improvements and coronal curve adjustments suggests that correcting the coronal Cobb angle is pivotal for pulmonary function enhancement.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Pathways in Pediatric Spinal Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Pediatric spinal fusion surgery is a complex procedure that poses challenges in perioperative management. The enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) approach is an evidence-based, multidisciplinary strategy to optimize patient care in an individualized, multidisciplinary way. Despite the benefits of ERAS protocol implementation, the role of ERAS in pediatric spine surgery remains understudied. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the current literature regarding pediatric spinal surgery ERAS protocols and their ability to decrease the length of stay, pain, time-to-stand, and complications.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Statistical analyses were performed using Cochrane's RevMan (version 5.4).

RESULTS

Seventeen studies totaling 2733 patients were included in this analysis. Patients treated in an ERAS protocol had significant reductions in length of stay (P < 0.001), time-to-stand (P < 0.001), total complications (P = 0.02), and estimated blood loss (P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

ERAS protocol implementation can significantly enhance outcomes for pediatric patients receiving spinal surgery. Consequently, ERAS protocols have the potential to lower healthcare expenses, increase access, and set a new standard of care. Future research should be conducted to expand pediatric ERAS protocols to a diverse range of spinal pathologies and assess the long-term advantages of this practice.

Is deformity correction essential in a "Myelopathic Cord"? - A case series

INTRODUCTION

The incidence of preoperative neurological deficits in pediatric patients with complex deformities ranges from 15% to 23%. Furthermore, the likelihood of a postoperative neurological deficit can be considerably increased to 83.3% in the presence of a preoperative neurological deficit. Hence, the management of pediatric spinal deformities with neurological deficits is a challenge for every spine surgeon. Here, we describe four consecutive cases of pediatric spinal deformity with myelopathic cord, all of which were managed with decompressive surgery and stabilization without any attempts to correct the deformity. All the patients recovered well neurologically, without any progression of deformity.

CASE PRESENTATION

The authors obtained the informed written consent from the patient and their parents for the print and electronic publication of the case. All four patients had clinical myelopathy with a progressive, worsening neurological deficit. The pathology was in the thoracic region in all the patients. Of the four cases, two were post-tubercular deformities, and two were congenital deformities. The treatment strategy for all patients was circumferential decompression of the spinal cord with posterior pedicle screw instrumentation. Although all patients had significant neurological deficits (Nurick grade 4 or 5) preoperatively, we used intraoperative neuromonitoring to prevent the worsening of the deficit during the procedure. None of the patients experienced intraoperative signal changes. All patients had significant neurological recovery (Nurick grade 0 to 2) and showed no worsening of deformity at their latest follow-up, up to 4 years. All showed good improvement in all domains of the SRS22r questionnaire.

DISCUSSION

It is challenging for spine surgeons to manage complex spinal abnormalities in pediatric patients with myelopathic cords. Even a minimal manipulation of the cord during surgery might result in severe long-term morbidity. The primary objective in managing such patients should be neurological recovery rather than deformity correction-"First do no harm," and if necessary, the deformity can be corrected at a later stage under neuromonitoring.

Pelvic Fixation for Non-Ambulatory Patients with Neuromuscular Scoliosis Treated with Magnetically Controlled Growing Rods-A 4-Year Comparison of Two Different Fixation Methods

Background/Objectives: This study aims to analyze the efficacy and safety of the two pelvic fixation systems, S-hooks (SH) and lumbar-sacral-alar-iliac (SAI) screws, when used in association with magnetically controlled growing rods (MCGRs) in non-ambulatory children with severe neuromuscular scoliosis (NMS). Methods: Forty-one patients were retrospectively examined and subdivided corresponding to ilium hook fixation or SAI screws. The major curve correction (%) and pelvic obliquity (PO) correction (%) were assessed utilizing scoliosis plain film radiographs over time. Complications and unplanned return to the operating room (UPROR) were recorded. Patient-specific pre- and postoperative values were included in a backward stepwise regression model to assess UPROR. Results: Mean age at index intervention was 9.4 years. Preoperative main curve was 81° and PO was 22°. 21 and 20 patients were categorized into the SH and SAI subgroups, respectively. Initial curve correction was significantly better in the SAI subgroup (63 vs. 42% in the SH, p = 0.045), while PO correction was equally good. Curve and PO correction were maintained throughout the follow-up period of 55 months. UPROR rate was 38% in the SH subgroup, and 5% in the SAI subgroup (p = 0.010). Regression analysis identified postoperative curve correction as predictive value for UPROR (p = 0.006). Conclusions: SAI screw fixation has a low UPROR rate and achieves superior curve correction. S-hooks are a viable option to correct PO and NMS in children with high operative risk to reduce operative time, but revision surgery is not uncommon.

Clinical outcomes and spinal growth after posterior hemivertebra resection and short segment fusion in children

To evaluate the corrective effect of posterior hemivertebra resection and short-segment fusion surgery on pediatric patients and to assess the impact of short-segment fixation surgery on vertebral development during follow-up, a retrospective analysis was performed on 28 pediatric patients who underwent posterior hemivertebra resection surgery. The corrective effect was evaluated by comparing indicators such as segmental scoliosis Cobb angle, upper and lower compensatory curves and trunk balance at different time points. Meanwhile, the vertebral and spinal canal diameters of instrumented vertebrae and adjacent noninstrumented vertebrae were measured and compared to assess vertebral and spinal canal development. The correction rate of segmental scoliosis was 72.2%. The estimated mean vertebral volume of the instrumented vertebra was slightly lower than that of the unfused segment at the final follow-up, but the difference was not statistically significant. The growth rate of the spinal canal during follow-up was much smaller than that of the vertebral body. In summary, internal fixation at a young age shows no significant inhibitory effects on spinal development within the fusion segment. Posterior hemivertebra resection and short-segment fusion surgery are safe and effective.