Children With Spinal Muscular Atrophy With Prior Growth-Friendly Spinal Implants Have Better Results After Definite Spinal Fusion in Comparison to Untreated Patients.

Background: 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.

Health-related quality of life in early-onset-scoliosis patients treated with growth-friendly implants is influenced by etiology, complication rate and ambulatory ability.

Background: Progressive Early-Onset Scoliosis (EOS) in children may lead to surgical interventions with growth-friendly implants, which require repeated lengthening procedures in order to allow adequate growth. Quality of life was studied using the validated German version of the EOS-Questionnaire (EOSQ-24-G) in surgically treated EOS children with different lengthening modalities.

Methods: EOSQ-24-G and the KINDL questionnaire were given to families with EOS children who had been treated by either vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib implants and repetitive lengthening surgeries every 6 months or children who had received a magnetically expansion controlled implant, which was externally lengthened every 3 months.