What does the SRS-22 outcome measure tell us about spinal deformity surgery for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis in the UK?

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to analyse SRS-22 outcomes measures recorded on the British Spine Registry (BSR) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) surgery in the UK.

Methods: All cases having completed an SRS-22 outcome score and labelled with a diagnosis code of 'AIS' on the BSR were analysed. The SRS-22 score for primary cases was analysed by both individual domains and as a total score over time following surgery.

Results: A total of 3,860 cases were labelled as AIS recorded from 3,481 individuals. For primary cases, surgery improved the SRS-22 scores in every domain and as a total score, and this was maintained over time. There was no significant change in the scores recorded between 1 and 2 years of follow up apart from in function (and thus total score) for primary cases.

Conclusions: Surgery for AIS in the UK improves quality of life assessed using SRS-22. Mandatory follow up to 2 years postoperatively adds little information not already known at 1 year. We recommend that the Best Practice Tariff incorporates the collection of outcomes data as this is likely to reduce missing data.