Comparison of anterior and posterior double-rod instrumentation for thoracic idiopathic scoliosis: results of 141 patients.

Ventral derotation spondylodesis, according to Zielke, achieves good results in operative treatment of idiopathic thoracic scolioses. Corrections of scoliotic major and secondary curve as well as derotation of the spine are reliably performed. The high rate of rod fractures with subsequent correction loss as well as a proportionate kyphogenic effect represents a problem.

Implant removal for late-developing infection after instrumented posterior spinal fusion for scoliosis: reinstrumentation reduces loss of correction. A retrospective analysis of 45 cases.

A retrospective follow-up study of patients who, having undergone instrumented posterior spinal fusion for scoliosis, experienced late infection and then underwent either implant removal alone or implant removal and instrumented refusion. We conducted this study to determine whether it is possible to avoid loss of correction by a single-stage implant removal and reinstrumentation procedure. There have been a few reports of late-appearing infections after spinal instrumentation.

[Treatment of knee dislocation after callus distraction of the femur--a case report].

We report on the therapy of a complete ventrocranial luxation of the knee joint with leg shortening of 20 cm, which had appeared after diaphyseal distraction osteogenesis in the left thigh at the age of 7 years. The patient presented herself in our clinic at the age of 14 years. After application of an llizarov external fixator,first the luxation was gradually repositioned and afterwards arthrodesis of the knee joint was carried out.

[Surgical treatment of infantile and juvenile scoliosis--a retrospective analysis of 21 patients].

Problem: We carried out a retrospective analysis of 21 patients with infantile or juvenile scoliosis (9 boys, 12 girls) who underwent surgical treatment between 1985 and 1997. 13 patients underwent primary dorsal instrumentation without fusion (growing-rod group). In contrast, 8 patients received already in this young age an instrumented spondylodesis (fusion-group).

Beta-tricalcium phosphate as a bone substitute for dorsal spinal fusion in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: preliminary results of a prospective clinical study.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the ability of beta-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) in granular form to achieve dorsal spondylodesis in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Twenty-eight patients underwent surgical correction and were followed up for 13+/-8 (range 6-33) months. Posterolateral grafting was performed, using either autograft bone mixed with allograft bone (n=19; "bone group") or autograft bone mixed with 25 g TCP (n=9; "TCP group").