Cervical sagittal alignment in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: is it corrected by surgery?

OBJECTIVECervical sagittal alignment (CSA) is related to function and quality of life, but it has not been frequently studied in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. This study aimed to reveal the change in CSA following corrective surgery, compare the cervical sagittal parameters according to curve types, and assess related factors for postoperative aggravation of CSA.METHODSThe authors studied 318 consecutive patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis who underwent corrective surgery at a single center. Occiput–C2 and C2–7 lordosis, C2–7 sagittal vertical axis (SVA), T-1 slope, thoracic kyphosis, and lumbar sagittal profiles were measured preoperatively and postoperatively. Scoliosis Research Society Outcomes Questionnaire (SRS-22) scores were used as clinical outcomes. Each radiological parameter was compared preoperatively and postoperatively according to curve types (double major, single thoracic, and double thoracic curves). Patients were grouped based on preoperative CSA: the lordotic group (group L) and the kyphotic group (group K). Each radiological parameter was compared between the groups. Related factors for postoperative aggravation of CSA were assessed using multivariate logistic analysis.RESULTSOf the total number of patients studied, 67.0% (213 of 318) and 54.4% (173 of 318) showed cervical kyphotic alignment preoperatively and postoperatively, respectively. C2–7 lordosis increased (from −5.8° to −1.1°; p < 0.001) and C2–7 SVA decreased (from 24.2 to 20.0 mm; p < 0.001) postoperatively regardless of curve types. Although group K showed improvement in C2–7 lordosis (from −12.7° to −4.8°; p < 0.001), group L showed no difference (from 9.0° to 6.9°; p = 0.115) postoperatively. Clinical outcomes were not related to the degree of cervical kyphosis in this cohort. C2–7 lordosis (p < 0.001) and pelvic tilt (p = 0.019) were related to postoperative aggravation of CSA.CONCLUSIONSRegardless of the trend of improvement in CSA, many patients (54.4%) still showed cervical kyphotic alignment postoperatively. C2–7 lordosis and C2–7 SVA improved postoperatively in all curve types. However, postoperative changes in C2–7 lordosis showed different results based on preoperative CSA, which could be related to T-1 slope and thoracic kyphosis. However, clinical outcomes showed no difference based on CSA in this study cohort. Greater C2–7 lordosis and proximal thoracic curve preoperatively were risk factors for postoperative aggravation of CSA (p < 0.001 and p = 0.019, respectively).

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Sagittal profile modifications in hybrid versus all screw technique in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-79523-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Laura Scaramuzzo ◽

Antonino Zagra ◽

Giuseppe Barone ◽

Stefano Muzzi ◽

Leone Minoia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽

Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽

Cobb Angle ◽

Thoracic Kyphosis ◽

Sagittal Alignment ◽

Vertical Axis ◽

Sagittal Profile ◽

Sacral Slope ◽

Sagittal Vertical Axis ◽

Lenke Classification

AbstractAim of the study was to evaluate sagittal parameters modifications, with particular interest in thoracic kyphosis, in patients affected by adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) comparing hybrid and all-screws technique. From June 2010 to September 2018, 145 patients were enrolled. Evaluation included: Lenke classification, Risser scale, coronal Cobb angle, thoracic kyphosis (TK), lumbar lordosis (LL), sagittal vertical axis (SVA), pelvic incidence (PI), pelvic tilt (PT), sacral slope (SS). Patients were divided in two groups (1 all-screws and 2 hybrid); a further division, in both groups, was done considering preoperative TK values. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was conducted. 99 patients were in group 1, 46 in group 2 (mean follow-up 3.7 years). Patients with a normo-kyphotic profile developed a little variation in TK (Δ pre–post = 2.4° versus − 2.0° respectively). Hyper-kyphotic subgroups had a tendency of restoring a good sagittal alignment. Hypo-kyphotic subgroups, patients treated with all-screw implants developed a higher increase in TK mean Cobb angle (Δ pre–post = 10°) than the hybrid subgroup (Δ pre–post = 5.4°) (p = 0.01). All-screws group showed better results in restoring sagittal alignment in all subgroups compared to hybrid groups, especially in hypo-TK subgroup, with the important advantage to give better correction on coronal plane.

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Specific sagittal alignment patterns are already present in mild adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

European Spine Journal ◽

10.1007/s00586-021-06772-w ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tom P. C. Schlösser ◽

René M. Castelein ◽

Pierre Grobost ◽

Suken A. Shah ◽

Kariman Abelin-Genevois

Keyword(s):

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽

Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽

Inflection Point ◽

Thoracic Kyphosis ◽

Sagittal Alignment ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Sagittal Profile ◽

Thoracolumbar Kyphosis ◽

C7 Slope ◽

Sagittal Malalignment

Abstract Purpose The complex three-dimensional spinal deformity in AIS consists of rotated, lordotic apical areas and neutral junctional zones that modify the spine’s sagittal profile. Recently, three specific patterns of thoracic sagittal ‘malalignment’ were described for severe AIS. The aim of this study is to define whether specific patterns of pathological sagittal alignment are already present in mild AIS. Methods Lateral spinal radiographs of 192 mild (10°–20°) and 253 severe (> 45°) AIS patients and 156 controls were derived from an international consortium. Kyphosis characteristics (T4–T12 thoracic kyphosis, T10–L2 angle, C7 slope, location of the apex of kyphosis and of the inflection point) and sagittal curve types according to Abelin-Genevois were systematically compared between the three cohorts. Results Even in mild thoracic AIS, already 49% of the curves presented sagittal malalignment, mostly thoracic hypokyphosis, whereas only 13% of the (thoraco) lumbar curves and 6% of the nonscoliosis adolescents were hypokyphotic. In severe AIS, 63% had a sagittal malalignment. Hypokyphosis + thoracolumbar kyphosis occurred more frequently in high-PI and primary lumbar curves, whereas cervicothoracic kyphosis occurred more in double thoracic curves. Conclusions Pathological sagittal patterns are often already present in curves 10°–20°, whereas those are rare in non-scoliotic adolescents. This suggests that sagittal ‘malalignment’ patterns are an integral part of the early pathogenesis of AIS.

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Does Selective Posterior Correction and Fusion Surgery Influence Cervical Sagittal Alignment In Patient With Lenke Type 5 Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis? - A 5-Year Follow Up Retrospective Cohort Study

Spine ◽

10.1097/brs.0000000000003967 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽

Author(s):

Toshiki Okubo ◽

Mitsuru Yagi ◽

Satoshi Suzuki ◽

Satoshi Nori ◽

Osahiko Tsuji ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽

Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽

Retrospective Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Sagittal Alignment ◽

Fusion Surgery ◽

Cervical Sagittal Alignment ◽

Posterior Correction

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Normal Age-Adjusted Sagittal Spinal Alignment Is Achieved with Surgical Correction in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Asian Spine Journal ◽

10.4184/asj.2017.11.5.770 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 770-779 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Subaraman Ramchandran ◽

Norah Foster ◽

Akhila Sure ◽

Thomas J. Errico ◽

Aaron J. Buckland

Keyword(s):

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽

Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽

Lumbar Lordosis ◽

Thoracic Kyphosis ◽

Pelvic Incidence ◽

Sagittal Alignment ◽

Vertical Axis ◽

Surgical Correction ◽

Sagittal Vertical Axis

<sec><title>Study Design</title>Retrospective analysis.</sec><sec><title>Purpose</title>Our hypothesis is that the surgical correction of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) maintains normal sagittal alignment as compared to age-matched normative adolescent population.</sec><sec><title>Overview of Literature</title>Sagittal spino-pelvic alignment in AIS has been reported, however, whether corrective spinal fusion surgery re-establishes normal alignment remains unverified.</sec><sec><title>Methods</title>Sagittal profiles and spino-pelvic parameters of thirty-eight postsurgical correction AIS patients ≤21 years old without prior fusion from a single institution database were compared to previously published normative age-matched data. Coronal and sagittal measurements including structural coronal Cobb angle, pelvic incidence, pelvic tilt, thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, sagittal vertical axis, C2–C7 cervical lordosis, C2–C7 sagittal vertical axis, and T1 pelvic angles were measured on standing full-body stereoradiographs using validated software to compare preoperative and 6 months postoperative changes with previously published adolescent norms. A sub-group analysis of patients with type 1 Lenke curves was performed comparing preoperative to postoperative alignment and also comparing this with previously published normative values.</sec><sec><title>Results</title>The mean coronal curve of the 38 AIS patients (mean age, 16±2.2 years; 76.3% female) was corrected from 53.6° to 9.6° (80.9%, <italic>p</italic><0.01). None of the thoracic and spino-pelvic sagittal parameters changed significantly after surgery in previously hypo- and normo-kyphotic patients. In hyper-kyphotic patients, thoracic kyphosis decreased (<italic>p</italic>=0.003) with a reciprocal decrease in lumbar lordosis (<italic>p</italic>=0.01), thus lowering pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis mismatch mismatch (<italic>p</italic>=0.009). Structural thoracic scoliosis patients had slightly more thoracic kyphosis than age-matched patients at baseline and surgical correction of the coronal plane of their scoliosis preserved normal sagittal alignment postoperatively. A sub-analysis of Lenke curve type 1 patients (n=24) demonstrated no statistically significant changes in the sagittal alignment postoperatively despite adequate coronal correction.</sec><sec><title>Conclusions</title>Surgical correction of the coronal plane in AIS patients preserves sagittal and spino-pelvic alignment as compared to age-matched asymptomatic adolescents.</sec>

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