Publications by authors named "Marina Hecker"
Magnetically controlled growing rods (MCGR) are commonly implanted for the treatment of early-onset scoliosis. While most authors report favorable short-term results, little is known about long-term deformity correction. This prospective cohort study assesses spinal deformity control in a homogeneous spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patient group treated with MCGR implants, a standardized lengthening protocol and a minimum follow-up of four years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Almost all children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) develop a scoliosis during childhood and adolescence. In the last decades, growth-friendly spinal implants have been established as an interim solution for these patients until definite spinal fusion can be performed. The effect of those implants on the final outcome has yet to be described.
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- This study evaluates the effectiveness of magnetically controlled implant systems for treating severe spinal deformities in children, focusing on distraction length, complication rates, and their risk factors.
- Researchers followed 40 patients over an average of 34 months, measuring actual versus expected lengthening of the implants during bi-monthly procedures.
- Findings showed a 94.4% success rate in achieving expected distraction length, a low complication rate of 4.6% mainly linked to higher BMI, and a strong connection between distraction length and spinal growth, demonstrating the efficiency of this therapy.
Background: Children with severe spinal deformity frequently are managed with growth-friendly implants. After initial surgery, externally controlled magnetic rods allow spinal deformity correction during growth without further surgical intervention. The ability to lengthen the spine without additional surgical procedures is especially beneficial in high-risk children, such as those with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
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- Bilateral vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib (VEPTR) treatment is a surgical method that corrects scoliosis without involving the spine, allowing for future procedures like MRI or neurosurgery.
- A study compared outcomes between 4 children with spinal deformities from tumors and 4 with neuromuscular diseases, finding a significant reduction in scoliosis curves for both groups (41% for tumors, 40% for neuromuscular cases).
- However, children with tumors showed more severe curve progression and less effective pelvic alignment control, suggesting that VEPTR may be less effective for these patients.