Adult Scoliosis: Large Curves and Lost Height

Description

This adult female patient had very large thoracic and lumbar curves. She reported losing 6” to7” of height with aging. The deformity is so severe that at the thoracolumbar junction (where the thoracic and lumbar spines meet), the spinal elements are rotated and angled over 90°.
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Treatment

Dr. Bridwell treated this patient with halo traction and posterior instrumented fusion from the upper thoracic spine down to the sacrum and pelvis.
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Result

She is more than 6 years post-op and has gained 4” in height.

Note on the Pre-op to Post-op Comparison questionnaire scores that for the pain, function, and mental health questions, the maximum score is 25; for the self-image question, the maximum score is 30; and for the satisfaction question, the maximum score is 10. For the SRS Scores Converted to 100-point Scale, 100 means no pathology. For the Oswestry Scores, 100 means maximum pathology; 1 means no pathology.

If you have any questions or would like someone to walk you through this case, please call Dr. Bridwell's office at (314) 747-2526 or (314) 747-2560 and ask to speak to either Bernie or Jackie and they or one of his staff will be happy to explain the case in greater detail to you. To learn more about how to understand SRS and Oswestry Scores, please click here.