title: Dual growing rods technique for congenital scoliosis:  more than 2 years outcomes: preliminary results of a single center.
abstract: METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate clinical outcomes of dual growing rod (GR) technique in treating children with congenital scoliosis (CS).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Published reports on the dual GR technique results of early-onset scoliosis demonstrate it to be safe and effective. However, the use of GR in congenital spinal deformities is controversial, and there have been no reports on the results and complications of dual GR technique for CS with large series of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  During 2004 to 2009, a total of 30 patients with CS underwent dual GR procedures. Of the 159 total procedures conducted within the treatment period, 125 were lengthenings with an average of 4.2 lengthenings per patient. Five patients with severe rigid deformity or kyphosis had an osteotomy at apex vertebra with short segmental fusion. The analysis included age at initial surgery and final fusion (if applicable), number and frequency of lengthenings, and complications. Radiographical evaluation was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean scoliosis improved from 72.3° to 34.9° after initial surgery and was 35.2° at the last follow-up or after final fusion. T1-S1 length increased from 25.42 to 29.03 cm after initial surgery and to 33.32 cm at last follow-up or after final fusion with an average T1-S1 length increase of 1.49 cm per year. The space available for lung ratio in patients with thoracic curves improved from 0.84 to 0.96 at the latest follow-up. Three patients reached final fusion. Complications occurred in 7 of the 30 patients, and they had a total of 13 complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The dual GR technique is safe and effective in the treatment of selected cases of long, complex CS. It maintains correction achieved at initial surgery while allowing spinal growth to continue. And it has an acceptable rate of complications. The osteotomy at the apex vertebra with short segmental fusion of the severe rigid scoliosis or the patients with kyphosis could help to improve the correction and decrease the implant failures, with little influence on the length of the spine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Shengru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jianguo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Guixing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Yipeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shugang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jianxiong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Xisheng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Weng
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007738:Kyphosis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D010027:Osteotomy; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013131:Spine / Q000254:growth & development / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome