L-rod instrumentation for scoliosis in cerebral palsy.

From April 1977 through September 1980 at the University of Texas Medical Branch, 10 cerebral palsied individuals with total body involvement were surgically treated for their scoliosis. Each underwent L-rod instrumentation either as a definitive procedure or as the second surgery in a two-staged correction and arthrodesis. The average age of the group was 15.6 years and the average curve severity 70.8 degrees. An average correction of 59.9% or 41.5 degrees was obtained; two-stage procedures averaged 7.2 degrees correction per segment as contrasted with 5.4 degrees for single stage surgery. Most patients had regained their preoperative level of function within 2 weeks after L-rod instrumentation. At an average follow-up interval of 2.73 years, all have a solid spinal arthrodesis. On the basis of this experience, we feel that L-rod instrumentation is a more effective adjunct in the surgical management of cerebral palsy scoliosis than combined Harrington-Dwyer instrumentations.