Background: Vertebral body tethering (VBT) is a nonfusion surgical treatment for scoliosis. Recent data have shown that intraoperative correction is critical for successful curve correction over time. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative correction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: The burden of scoliosis care extends beyond treatment costs and includes missed school for patients and lost income for parents. Chronic absenteeism, defined as more than 18 days of missed school, can have a significant impact on a child's educational progression, but missed school and work due to scoliosis treatment are not well quantified in the literature. This study investigates absenteeism among scoliosis patients and their caregivers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The purpose of this study was to report on 2-year results of vertebral body tethering (VBT), performed under a Food and Drug Administration protocol, to obtain insight into outcomes and complications.
Methods: Forty prospectively enrolled patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) who had a Sanders score of ≤4 or a Risser score of ≤2 underwent VBT for curves between 40° and 70°. Surgical, radiographic, and patient-reported outcomes were reviewed at a minimum 2-year follow-up.
Purpose: Cancer treatment often results in adverse financial consequences-also termed financial toxicity. To build upon limited research in pediatric oncology, we conducted a qualitative study exploring families' lived experiences with financial toxicity and their perspectives on potential mitigation strategies.
Methods: We conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of English- and Spanish-speaking family caregivers, 3-24 months following diagnosis.