Hemivertebra excision in children via simultaneous anterior and posterior exposures.

Abstract

This study evaluates the effectiveness of hemivertebra excision in children via simultaneous anterior and posterior operative exposures. This study was a retrospective review of patients treated with this technique over a 5-year period with minimum 2-year follow-up. Eighteen patients were studied, all of whom had undergone hemivertebra excision and deformity correction using unilateral compression instrumentation. The average age of the patients at the time of operation was 3 years 2 months and the average preoperative coronal curve measured 40 degrees. There were no neurologic complications. At an average follow-up of 35 months all patients had obtained bony fusion; the average coronal curve measured 11 degrees for an average percentage correction of 71%. Hemivertebra excision by simultaneous exposure is an effective and safe way of managing congenital hemivertebra, and the correction is similar to staged anterior-posterior procedures or posterior-only procedures.