The case presented in this blog is an adolescent male, who is an active athlete and having back pain. It is easy to see the scoliosis in the upper part of the spine. The below picture demonstrates the impact of scoliosis on the shoulder and neck alignment. Due to the scoliosis which tips the head […]
Year: 2023
Spine Podium Presentations at POSNA Annual Meeting, April 2023
Below is my list of the top 10 Pediatric Spine podium presentations presented at the last POSNA Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee (April 2023). The list is in no particular order. My disclaimer is that I most highly value the presentations, which affect clinical decision-making and patient outcomes from surgery. Topic #1: Anterior Vertebral Body […]
Another new publication in Spine Deformity
Severe Idiopathic Scoliosis, Treated with Preoperative Halo-Gravity Traction and then Posterior Spinal Fusion
The patient presented with the below scoliosis, no prior treatment. The proximal thoracic curve measured 57 degrees, and the main thoracic 91 degrees in skeletally mature patient. The patient has developed daily back pain, which is interfering with school and sporting activities. Not only does scoliosis cause chest asymmetry and back pain, but it can […]
Recent Publication in Spine Deformity
Post 8-9-2023 Take-away message: Regardless of fixation, whether it be the spine or the ribs, the spine will get stiffer over time with dual magnetically-controlled growing rods.
The Natural History of Curve Behavior after Brace Removal in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
First, I want to recognize Daphna Zaaroor-Regev for all of her hard work on this project and without her initiative and drive would not have been possible. Why do this project? To help answer the common parent question, “What will happen to my daughter’s scoliosis, now that we are stopping her bracing?” To […]
Development of a Treatment Matrix for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (IS)
The following post is an abridged version of a PowerPoint talk I recently presented to the Washington University School of Medicine Orthopaedics Residents on 3-21-2023. It is important to understand the purpose of this talk is to present these big treatment topics in a high-level manner, a 30,000 foot view, to provide a framework to […]
Instructional PowerPoint on the Free-Hand Technique of Thoracic Pedicle Screw Placement
The following talk is one aimed at surgeons interested in learning how to place thoracic pedicle screws for spinal deformity surgical treatment.
Recent Talk on Early-Onset Scoliosis and Treatment Decision-Making
Neuromuscular Scoliosis: Use of Magnetically-Controlled Growing Rods
In the second-to-last blog post the concept of using Magnetically-Controlled Growing Rods (MCGR) was presented for treatment of NeuroMuscular Scoliosis (NMS). In that post the different cranial/upper and the caudal/lower foundations were discussed briefly, and the reasons for why we choose one type over another. In this post the use of proximal screws and distal […]
Recent Publication on Anterior Vertebral Body Tethering (AVBT) Compared with Posterior Spinal Fusion for Major Thoracic Curves: A Retrospective Comparison by the Harms Study Group
Study Cohort: Thoracic Idiopathic Scoliosis patients who underwent Anterior Vertebral Body Tethering (AVBT) with minimum 2-year follow-up after surgery and propensity matched to Posterior Spinal Fusion (PSF) patients from Harms Study Group multicenter database. 237 AVBT patients (thoracic curve tethered only) vs. 237 PSF patients Propensity matched using: age, preoperative thoracic curve magnitude, sex, and […]