Complications after posterior spinal fusion in Duchenne's muscular dystrophy.
Patients with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy often develop progressive scoliosis. Should spinal stabilization be necessary, these patients are considered at high risk for surgically related complications. This retrospective study of 30 patients with Duchenne's examined the prevalence and types of complications associated with posterior spinal fusion and determined the percentage of patients who lived > or = 2 years beyond surgery. Major complications related to cardiopulmonary compromise, infection, or hardware complications occurred in 27%, and minor complications occurred in another 16%. Seventy-seven percent of the patients lived > or = 2 years beyond their surgery. The majority of patients and their families, including half of those who had major complications, reported that surgery resulted in an improvement in their quality of life. Although complications are common, the benefits realized by the patient with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy with scoliosis reinforce the importance of surgical stabilization.
Ramirez
N
N
Department of Orthopaedics, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Dallas 75219, USA.
Richards
B S
BS
Warren
P D
PD
Williams
G R
GR
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009136:Muscular Dystrophies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000009:adverse effects; D015996:Survival Rate