Study design: Evaluation of the long-term results for single fully segmented hemivertebrae were subjected to single-stage excision via posterior approach alone.
Objectives: To describe the long-term results of this procedure.
Summary of background data: In the case of congenital spinal deformity caused by a single, full hemivertebra, excision of the hemivertebra is ideal for obtaining a good correction percentage even in short segments. Recently, single-stage excision of a hemivertebra using a combined anterior and posterior approach has been reported.
Methods: Five patients with a hemivertebra underwent surgery. The hemivertebra involved the thoracolumbar region in three cases and the lumbosacral region in two cases. After removal of a lamina of the hemivertebra, the body of the hemivertebra was visualized easily because the spinal cord had deviated to the concave side of the curve. The vertebral body, along with its cranial and caudal discs, was curetted with this approach. Thereafter, bone chips were grafted into the defect created by vertebrectomy. The results of this surgical procedure, especially those observed during long-term follow-up evaluation, were investigated.
Results: For patients with a thoracolumbar hemivertebra, scoliosis improved from 49 degrees +/- 6 degrees to 22.3 degrees +/- 3.5 degrees, for a 54.3% correction. The correction ratio for kyphosis was 67.4%. Over an average 12.8-year follow up period, loss of scoliotic curvature correction was only 3.7 degrees. In contrast, the hemivertebral correction ratio for patients with a lumbosacral hemivertebra remained 32.5% because of difficulty using internal fixation associated with patient age. At the most recent follow-up assessment, one patient exhibited deterioration of coronal spinal balance.
Conclusion: The described procedure was less invasive because it avoided an anterior approach, yet it yielded satisfactory long-term results for thoracolumbar hemivertebrae.