Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: surgical treatment and quality of life

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of perioperative factors and their impact on clinical and functional outcomes in Brazilian patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). METHODS We performed a prospective study with 49 consecutive AIS patients who underwent spine fusion and had a minimum 2 year follow-up. Clinical and radiographic data were correlated to SRS-30 scores in order to predict postoperative results. RESULTS There was a negative association between patient age at the time of surgery and back pain. We also observed higher scores in the "satisfaction" domain in patients who underwent surgery after 15 years of age (p < 0.05). The average SRS-30 "mental health" score was significantly higher in males than in females (p= 0.035). Patients treated with braces had worse results than those who did not use them (p= 0.005). CONCLUSIONS Posterior spine fusion led to improvement of all domains of the SRS-30 questionnaire. Clinical results were influenced by age, sex and the use of braces prior to surgery. There was no correlation between curve correction and presence of perioperative complications. Level of Evidence IV, Case Series.