OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the results of AI and PI in patients diagnosed with Lenke type I curves who were treated surgically. METHODS: The results of 24 patients aged 11 to 18 years with Lenke type I idiopathic scoliosis who underwent surgery with anterior (12 patients) or posterior (12 patients) instrumentation were compared. All patients were operated by the same surgeon and were followed up for a minimum period of five years. Variables for comparison include: coronal and sagittal correction, distance from apical vertebra to midline, apical vertebral rotation, number of instrumented vertebrae and functional variables by means of the SRS-22 questionnaire. The data obtained were analyzed with the SAS program, version 9. The two groups were compared with a 2-tailed Student's t-test with a level of significance set at 5% (0.05). RESULTS: The correction of the curve on the frontal plane was higher at immediate (p=0.031) and late postoperative (p=0.043) as well the apical vertebral rotation during immediate (p=0.002) and late (p=0.019) evaluation in the anterior spinal fusion group. The number of instrumented vertebrae was 7.69±1.38 in the anterior spinal fusion patients and 11.38±2.92 in the posterior spine fusion patients (p=0.021). Functional assessment (SRS-22) showed no significant difference (p>0.05) between groups. CONCLUSION: Anterior spine fusion patients presented greater scoliosis correction on frontal plane, greater derotation of apical vertebrae and smaller number of fused vertebrae.
Scoliosis; Thoracic; Spine; Surgical Instruments
