Below is a case showing use of a unilateral growing rod in a young patient.
Above are the radiographs of a 3-year-old male whose scoliosis has progressed despite casting and brace wear. Options were presented and the decision was to proceed with operative management.
The surgical treatment was a single rod, placed on the concave side of the scoliosis, to jack it open from T4 to L2. All the fixation was with hooks, for on the ribs at T4, T5, T6 and T7, and a down-going hook at L2. A magnetically controlled growing rod was used, which allows the construct to be lengthened in the office, painlessly, every 3 months.
Here are the preoperative and immediate postoperative radiographs. Notice the nice overall correction.
1 years postoperative
2 years postoperative. Notice the rod has lengthened.
3 years postoperative. The actuators have reached maximal distraction.
The radiographs 1st and 3rd from the left were immediately after surgery, and the 2nd and 4th ones are at 3 years postoperative. It is easy to see how much the rods have lengthened and how nicely they have maintained correction of the scoliosis.