Blog Post: Idiopathic Lumbar Scoliosis Treated with Posterior Spinal Fusion T11 to L3

7-10-2024 13 year old female, active athlete Low back pain when participates in athletics Left trunk shift Right shoulder is higher than the left Near the end of skeletal growth Due to the magnitude of her deformity and skeletal age, surgery was discussed and, after discussions with patient and family, a posterior spinal fusion of […]

ApiFix

3-12-2024 This is a 10 year old female with idiopathic scoliosis. Radiographs measured out a 64 degree right thoracic curve. To determine the treatment options some of the additional information is crucial. Specifically, the amount of growth remaining which is best determined by the Sanders classification. This patient is a 3- which means the spine […]

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 […]

Spine Rotation in Scoliosis, Part 3

How we correct spine malrotation and rib prominence during spine fusions In the last 2 posts I showed how scoliosis is a 3-dimensional problem, with the spine rotating around itself as it bends to the side.  The way to visualize this is to imagine a water slide, as it turns to the side, it also […]

Spine Rotation in Scoliosis, Part 2

In the last post I showed how scoliosis is a 3-dimensional problem, with the spine rotating around itself as it bends to the side.  The way to visualize this is to imagine a water slide, as it turns to the side, it also rotates…just like the spine in scoliosis. What is interesting is that each […]

Spine Rotation in Scoliosis, Part 1

I have scoliosis…. So why do I have a rib hump? Why does my shoulder blade sticks out more on one side? Why are my ribs in the front different? These are common questions I hear from patients with scoliosis and their parents and caregivers. So why do these changes to the chest happen? Well […]