Abstract
Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of one-level vertebral column decancellation (VCD) for the correction of thoracolumbar kyphosis in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) will beneficial for clarify the application of this procedure. Methods With a minimum 2-year follow-up, 39 AS patients with kyphotic deformity who underwent one-level VCD were retrospectively reviewed. The operation time, blood loss, and perioperative complications were investigated to evaluate the technical safety. Pre- and postoperative radiographic and clinical parameters were compared to evaluate the technical efficacy. Results All of the osteotomy sites were located between T12 and L3. With an average operation time of 257.8±49.9 minutes, the average blood loss was 596.1±218 ml. 4 patients (10.3%) experienced complications during the follow-up period, while no deaths or complete paralysis were occurred. With an average correction of 45.07±11.27° have obtained for one-level VCD, the radiographic parameters improved significantly from preoperative to postoperative, including global kyphosis (from 42.05±13.82° to 1.51±12.08°), local kyphosis (from 20.54±15.43° to -24.54±12.83°), lumbar lordosis (from -8.01±16.34° to -42.81±13.98°), and SVA (from 17.47±6.77 cm to 7.45±5.37). At final follow-up, the clinical results were significantly improved compared with the preoperative results, including VAS for back pain (from 6.82±0.91 to 0.15±0.37), CBVA (from 30.44±10.81° to 10.10±3.92°) and all items of SRS-22 questionnaire. Conclusion With an acceptable complication rate, one-level VCD is an effective technique which can provide an average correction of 45° for correcting kyphotic deformity caused by AS, and can achieve good results even for severe AS kyphosis with a necessary correction angular up to 60°.
T-1 pedicle subtraction osteotomy for the treatment of rigid cervical kyphotic deformity: report of 4 cases