Children with early-onset scoliosis (EOS) with rib hump chest-wall distortion or fused/absent ribs have thoracic insufficiency syndrome (TIS). Commonly, respiration is adversely affected by loss of lung volume from chest-wall constriction and clinical loss of active rib cage expansion. The dynamic thoracic components of diaphragm or rib cage lung expansion during respiration is poorly characterised by radiograph or CT scan. Pulmonary function tests indicate only hemithorax performance. Dynamic lung MRI, however, can visualise both chest-wall and diaphragm motion, allowing assessment of each individual hemithorax performance, so that a dynamic classification system of the thoracic function can be developed. Ten patients with TIS underwent dynamic lung MRI testing as part of the routine clinical preoperative work-up. Each hemithorax was graded: 1=intact motion of both chest wall and diaphragm; 2=primarily loss of chest-wall motion with minimal diaphragm abnormality; 3=substantial loss of diaphragm excursion with minimal loss or compensatory hyperkinesis of chest wall; and 4=substantial loss of both diaphragm and chest-wall motion. The grades for each hemithorax were added and averaged to form the thoracic function score. Ranges of scores were grouped into levels of clinical thoracic performance: level I (score 1–1·5); level II (>1·5–2·5); level III (>2·5–3·5); and level IV(>3·5–4·0).Introduction
Methods
Many methods are available for distal anchoring of spine-based and rib-based growing rod systems for early-onset scoliosis. One of these methods, pelvic S-hooks, was initially recommended for patients with spina bifida or for those with severe thoracolumbar curves. No study has yet analysed the clinical and radiographic effects of S-hooks on patients with rib-based instrumentation. The purpose of this study is to retrospectively review the results of S-hook pelvic fixation in patients with rib-based instrumentation A multicentre, retrospective study, approved by the institutional review board, was undetaken in all patients treated with rib-based constructs using S-hooks for pelvic fixation. Preoperative and postoperative clinical variables, radiological measurements, and the incidence and management of complications were evaluated in patients with a minimum follow-up of 2 years.Introduction
Methods
