Multilevel spinal reconstruction in pediatric patients under 4years old with non-congenital pathology (10-year single-center cohort study).

Abstract

To evaluate the influence of anterior fusion option on the short- and long-time outcomes on multilevel spinal reconstructions in young children. Forty-five patients aged under 4years old (2years 2months ± 11months in average) underwent spinal reconstruction due to tuberculosis spondylitis (35), pyogenic spondylitis (9) and spinal tumors (1) complicated by angular kyphosis exceeded 20° (49.2° ± 14.3° in average). All lesions involved two or more spinal motion segments. Clinical and radiographic data were compared in two groups depended on the types of anterior fusion: titanium mesh cage with bone graft (TMC + BG) (19 patients) and cortical BG only (26). The average follow-up was 5years 10months ± 2years 8months (min=3years; max = 12years). The deformity correction was similar in groups. The operation time and blood loss were less in TMC + BG group (p = 0.001) as a times for anterior bone block formation (p < 0.001) and posterior instrumentation removal (p = 0.003). Ten late post-op complications registered include disease's recurrence (1), pseudoarthrosis (6), deformity progression (1) and graft resorption (1). The complication rate was less in TMC + BG than in BG group: two and eight cases consequently, p = 0.024. Multilevel spinal reconstruction in early aged patients is safe and effective procedure. The anterior fusion by TMC with bone autograft has advantages of reducing blood loss, operation time, time for anterior block formation and complications rate compared with bone autograft only. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.