title: Cardiac and respiratory function before and after spinal fusion in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.
abstract: Ten girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were studied before and 17-23 months after spinal fusion. None had any cardiac or respiratory disease complicating the scoliosis. They underwent a range of resting lung function tests and a progressive exercise test. The mean angle of scoliosis decreased from 65.8 to 27.3 degrees after operation but the only significant physiological benefit detected in this study was a decrease in the submaximal minute ventilation. The physiological benefit of spinal fusion was therefore much less prominent than the anatomical improvement of the spinal curvature.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D005082:Physical Exertion; D012119:Respiration; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013123:Spinal Fusion