title: Incidence and Risk Factors Associated with Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome following Surgical Correction of Scoliosis.
abstract: METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To more accurately determine the incidence and clarify risk factors.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Superior mesenteric artery syndrome is one of the possible complications following correctional operation for scoliosis. However, when preliminary symptoms are vague, the diagnosis of superior mesenteric artery syndrome may be easily missed.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective study using clinical data from 118 patients (43 men and 75 women) who underwent correctional operations for scoliosis between September 2001 and August 2007. The mean patient age was 15.9 years (range 9~24 years). The risk factors under scrutiny were the patient body mass index (BMI), change in Cobb's angle, and trunk length.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of subjects confirmed to have obstruction was 2.5%. However, the rate increased to 7.6% with the inclusion of the 6 subjects who only showed clinical symptoms of obstruction without confirmative study. The BMI for the asymptomatic and symptomatic groups were 18.4+/-3.4 and 14.6+/-3, respectively. The change in Cobb's angle for the asymptomatic and symptomatic groups were 24.8+/-13.6 degrees and 23.4+/-9.1 degrees , respectively. The change in trunk length for the asymptomatic and symptomatic groups were 2.3+/-2.1 cm and 4.5+/-4.8 cm, respectively. Differences in Cobb's angle and the change in trunk length between the two groups did not reach statistical significance, although there was a greater increase in trunk length for the symptomatic group than for the asymptomatic group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study shows that the incidence of superior mesenteric artery syndrome may be greater than the previously accepted rate of 4.7%. Therefore, in the face of any early signs or symptoms of superior mesenteric artery syndrome, prompt recognition and treatment are necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Spinal Orthopedic Surgery, Yong-Dong Severance Hospital, Yonsei University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ju Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hak Sun
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eun Su
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Jin Oh
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Dong Eun
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Gene Kyu
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jung Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Yeun Su
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Jung
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