Surgical correction of rigid thoracic lordoscoliosis.

A 17-year-old girl who had previously undergone both anterior and posterior fusion for a progressive thoracic lordoscoliosis required repeat surgery because of deteriorating respiratory function. Multiple anterior spinal osteotomies, multiple posterior spinal osteotomies, bilateral rib osteotomies, and correction with a Luque rod and sublaminar wires led to a successful final result despite a multitude of postoperative problems. Her scoliosis was improved by 30 degrees, her lordosis by 60 degrees, and her vital capacity by 330 cc.