These X-rays shows typical curve patterns of patients treated selectively in adolescence versus those requiring more extensive intervention as an adult.
Parents often ask about the advantages of waiting to perform corrective surgery for severe scoliosis in teenagers.
Actually, there is no advantage of postponing surgery as an adolescent. Any remaining growth would not result in greater height, but may actually increase the severity of the scoliosis curve. Additionally at about 12-15 years old peak growth has already occurred. Therefore the lungs have fully matured and there is no significant growth remaining of the chest cavity.
There, however, are consequences for prolonging scoliosis surgery.
The deformity will predictively worsen, eliminating the potential for a selective fusion. Thus a more extensive surgery, including additional levels of fusion would be required and could result in further loss of motion.
Additionally, due to progressive stiffness, the surgical correction becomes less effective. Clearly, the advantages of early intervention surpass any possible advantages of delaying the needed surgical correction.
by Dr. David Siambanes
