title: [Surgical treatment of scoliosis associated with syringomyelia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the clinical manifestations and surgical strategies of scoliosis associated with syringomyelia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 50 cases diagnosed as scoliosis with syringomyelia between January 2003 and November 2010 were recruited. They were divided into 2 groups: Group A, neurosurgery before scoliosis correction, including suboccipital decompression and syrinx shunting; Group B, one-staged posterior correction and instrumentation without previous neurosurgery. The preoperative, postoperative and last follow-ups of Cobb angle of coronal main curve and thoracic kyphosis were measured. Also the preoperative and postoperative apical vertebra translation, apical vertebra rotation and trunk shift were measured by the same person. The surgical efficacies and complications of correction were compared between 2 groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients underwent posterior pedicle screw instrumentation and had a mean follow-up period of 32.1 months. Among them, 42 patients had clinical symptoms or signs preoperatively and 3 patients improved postoperatively. The mean correction of coronal curve was 65.7% and a mean loss of correction 6.4% during the follow-up. The mean correction of apical vertebra translation and apical vertebra rotation were 63.0% and 60.0% respectively. However, the trunk shift increased 0.4 cm. There were no statistically significant differences for the correction efficacies and complications between 2 groups (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Scoliosis associated with syringomyelia may be effectively managed if a surgeon manipulates carefully intraoperatively and perioperative spinal monitoring is practiced. Furthermore syrinx will not increase the incidence of postoperative complications without prophylactic neurosurgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jia-Ming
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jian-Xiong
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Jian-Guo
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Shu-Gang
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Li-Juan
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yi-Peng
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Gui-Xing
authors.initials: GX
authors.lastname: Qiu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001863:Bone Screws; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D013595:Syringomyelia / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult