The surgical treatment of congenital kyphosis. A review of 94 patients age 5 years or older, with 2 years or more follow-up in 77 patients.

Ninety-four patients with surgical treatment of congenital kyphosis have been reviewed. Of these, 77 had a follow-up of 2 years or more, with an average follow-up of 7 years. The average age at surgery was 15, and the average kyphosis was 75 degrees. Twenty-seven had posterior fusion only, and 48 had combined anterior and posterior fusion. (Two others had anterior fusion only). The average kyphosis in the two groups was the same, but the anterior and posterior group had a better correction and a better maintenance of correction than the posterior group alone. Kyphosis of less than 55 degrees in growing children often was stabilized successfully by posterior surgery only, but adults and patients with kyphosis greater than 55 degrees required both anterior and posterior fusion. Halo-femoral traction was responsible for two of the three paralyses in this review.