The Alici spinal system in the surgical treatment of scoliosis.

The Alici spinal system is an instrumentation used for correction and fixation of various deformities of the spine. Idiopathic scoliosis is the most important indication. Scoliosis is a complex deformity in the frontal, sagittal and axial planes, and this system provides perfect correction in all three planes. Furthermore, it permits stable fixation and can be used for both anterior and posterior spinal fusions. The indications for the anterior Alici spinal system are: mature thoracolumbar or lumbar curves of more than 40 degrees, progressive immature thoracolumbar or lumbar curves of more than 35 degrees, painful mature lumbar curves, paralytic or congenital lumbar or thoracolumbar curves, and mature lumbar curves of more than 40 degrees in thoracolumbar double curves. The indications for the posterior Alici spinal system are: immature thoracic curves of more than 40 degrees, progressive thoracic or thoracolumbar curves of more than 35 degrees, and paralytic and congenital curves. During the last two years, 92 scoliosis patients underwent spinal fusion with Alici spinal instrumentation. Scoliosis was idiopathic in 58, congenital in 20, paralytic in 12, and 2 cases were caused by neurofibromatosis. Twenty-four of the patients underwent 2-stage anterior and posterior fusions. In the remaining 68 patients only posterior fusion was performed. The mean follow-up was 14 months (range, 6-24 months). Preoperatively, the mean curves of the idiopathic, congenital, and paralytic groups were 54.7 degrees, 57.8 degrees, and 83 degrees, respectively. In the idiopathic group the mean correction was 93% with anterior instrumentation, and 74.4% with posterior instrumentation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)