title: Low back pain after spinal fusion and Harrington instrumentation for idiopathic scoliosis.
abstract: We reviewed 41 patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis treated with spinal fusion and Harrington instrumentation between 1973 and 1992. The mean follow-up was 23 (11-30) years. All patients completed self-administered questionnaires, Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Score (ODS), Roland Morris score (RLS), and Visual Analog Pain Intensity Scale (VAS). We found a high degree of satisfaction with more than three quarters of the patients in work. The outcome of ODS, RLS, and VAS showed low scores. We found a significant correlation between the scores and the Cobb angle preoperatively as well as at follow-up. The patient-oriented outcome did not correlate with the type of curve, extension of vertebral fusion, tilt angle of the lowest instrumented vertebra, postoperative Cobb angle, loss of correction, or lumbar lordosis. This long-term follow-up of Harrington rod fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis showed no important impairment of health-related quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Spine Service, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University Hospital Tübingen, Tubingen, Germany. thomas.niemeyer@med.uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Niemeyer
authors.forename: Albert Schulze
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Bövingloh
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grieb
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Halm
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kluba
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016268:Internal Fixators; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome