Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2016 Dec;9(4):462-469.
doi: 10.1007/s12178-016-9372-5.

Complications following spine fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Robert F Murphy  1 , James F Mooney 3rd  2
Affiliations
Review

Complications following spine fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Robert F Murphy et al. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2016 Dec.

Abstract

Complications following spine fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis can be characterized as either intra-operative or post-operative. The most serious and feared complication is neurologic injury, both in the intra- and post-operative period. Other intra-operative complications include dural tears and ophthalmologic or peripheral nerve deficits, which may be related to positioning. Among the most common post-operative complications are surgical site infection, venous thromboembolism, gastrointestinal complications, and implant-related complications. Significant blood loss requiring transfusion, traditionally considered a known sequelae of spine fusion, is now being recognized as a "complication" in large national databases. Pediatric spine surgeons who care for patients with AIS must be thoroughly familiar with all potential complications and their management.

Keywords: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis; Blood transfusion; Complication; Fusion; Neurologic deficit; Surgical site infection.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Compliance with ethics guidelines Conflict of interest Robert F. Murphy and James F. Mooney III declare that they have no conflicts of interest. Human and animal rights and informed consent This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

References

    1. Rogala EJ, Drummond DS, Scoliosis GJ. incidence and natural history. A prospective epidemiological study. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1978;60:173–176. doi: 10.2106/00004623-197860020-00005. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Soucacos PN, Soucacos PK, Zacharis KC, Beris AE, Xenakis TA. School-screening for scoliosis. A prospective epidemiological study in northwestern and central Greece. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1997;79:1498–1503. doi: 10.2106/00004623-199710000-00006. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Montgomery F, Willner S. The natural history of idiopathic scoliosis. Incidence of treatment in 15 cohorts of children born between 1963 and 1977. Spine. 1997;22:772–774. doi: 10.1097/00007632-199704010-00012. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Weinstein SL, Zavala DC, Ponseti IV. Idiopathic scoliosis: long-term follow-up and prognosis in untreated patients. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1981;63:702–712. doi: 10.2106/00004623-198163050-00003. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Weinstein SL, Dolan LA, Spratt KF, Peterson KK, Spoonamore MJ, Ponseti IV. Health and function of patients with untreated idiopathic scoliosis: a 50-year natural history study. Jama. 2003;289:559–567. doi: 10.1001/jama.289.5.559. - DOI - PubMed