Spinal Fusion for the Treatment of Idiopathic Scoliosis in Children: Orthopedic Surgery to Treat Curvature of the Back in Children and Teenagers
Edited By: Kit M. Song, M.D.
Last updated Thursday, October 20, 2005
SummaryOverview Idiopathic scoliosis is a curvature of the spine that occurs
in children and young teenagers.
This condition affects about 2 to 3 percent of children
under the age of 16. Most of the time,
the curve in the back will remain small and will not progress, however, with
growth and over time, it may worsen. This condition causes a visible deformity
or a bump that appears on the child’s ribs or in the muscle adjacent to the
spine.
In most cases, the curve will stop progressing or changing
once the child stops growing. However, curves that are very large may continue
to worsen in adulthood, even though the individual is no longer growing.
Spine surgery is sometimes performed to correct the curve
and fuse of the affected part of the spine.
This surgery causes the bones of the spine to grow together to become a
solid bone that can no longer twist.
Metal rods are placed into the spine to pull it into a corrected
position and to hold it there in a stable manner. This allows the bones to heal
together, much as a broken bone in the arm or leg would heal.
Patients are able to get out of bed within a few days of
surgery while the average patient length of hospital stay is about five
days. Full recovery takes approximately
three to six months. Surgery for Idiopathic Scoliosis at the University of Washington If you are interested in making an appointment to discuss this procedure, you can request an appointment using our online referrals website. To request a referral online, please click here. You can also call 206-598-4288 (outside the Seattle area: 800-440-3280) to make an appointment.
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