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. 2021 Mar 1;21(1):106.
doi: 10.1186/s12893-021-01120-7.

Growing-rod implantation improves nutrition status of early-onset scoliosis patients: a case series study of minimum 3-year follow-up

Xingye Li  1   2 , Zheng Li  1 , Youxi Lin  1   3 , Haining Tan  1 , Chong Chen  1   3 , Jianxiong Shen  4
Affiliations

Growing-rod implantation improves nutrition status of early-onset scoliosis patients: a case series study of minimum 3-year follow-up

Xingye Li et al. BMC Surg. .

Abstract

Background: Early onset scoliosis (EOS) may cause malnutrition in affected patients. Growing-rod treatment has been an effective protocol for treating EOS. The objective of this study is to demonstrate whether growing-rod treatment improves nutritional status of EOS patients.

Methods: Fifty-two EOS patients who had dual growing-rod surgery was enrolled. The minimum follow-up was 3-years. Their body weights were normalized based on the data of two National Population Census of China. Z-scores were used to indicate the standard deviation from the median body weight-for-age.

Results: The median follow-up time was 6 years. Preoperatively, the prevalence of malnutrition (Z < - 2) was 21.2%, and reduced to 9.6% at the end of the follow-up. Preoperatively, the average Z-score was - 0.94, and it increased to - 0.65 at the latest follow-up (p < 0.05). Patients with preoperative Z-score below - 1 had more significant increase of Z-scores (- 2.15 vs - 1.26, p < 0.001). A significant negative correlation between the change of Z-score and the preoperative Z-score (correlation coefficient - 0.65, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: The growing rod surgery and lengthening procedures significantly improves the nutrition status of EOS patients. The body weight gains are more significant in patients with lower body weights.

Keywords: Early-onset scoliosis; Growing-rod; Malnutrition.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Percentile of patients with different body weight group in each postoperative time. Each column indicates 100% patients of each time point. Black portions indicate the percentile of patients with Z-score below − 2, who were diagnosed of malnutrition
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Change in Z-scores after growing-rod implantation and lengthenings. Each dot indicates a preoperative Z-score, each circle indicates Z-score at the final follow-up. The lines indicate mean and ± 1 SD. p < 0.05 is indicated by *; p < 0.01 is indicated by **
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Comparison of change of Z-score between preoperative and final-follow-up in different preoperative Z-score groups. Each dot indicates a preoperative Z-score, each circle indicates Z-score at the final follow-up. The lines indicate mean and ± 1 SD. p < 0.05 is indicated by *; p < 0.01 is indicated by **
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Correlation between preoperative Z-score and change in Z-score. X-axis indicates pre-operative Z-score and Y-axis indicates the difference of Z-score between preoperatively and the final follow-up. Each dot indicates a case. p < 0.01 is indicated by **
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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