Long-term follow-up of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients who had Harrington instrumentation and fusion to the lower lumbar vertebrae: is low back pain a problem?

Study Design: Retrospective functional and radiographic analysis.

Objective: To analyze the back pain and disability in patients who had instrumentation and fusion to L2, L3, L4, or L5, at least 10 years previously, and to compare them with a control group of the same age, sex, weight, and height.

Summary Of Background Data: Considerable confusion exists as to the incidence and severity of low back problems in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis fused to the lower lumbar spine.