Refereed journal article or data article (A1)
Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes of Instrumented Circumferential Spinal Fusion for Pediatric Spondylolisthesis A Comparison With Age and Sex Matched Healthy Controls
List of Authors: Virkki Ella N, Oksanen Hanna, Diarbakerli Elias, Helenius Linda, Pape Bernd, Pajulo Olli, Gerdhem Paul, Helenius Ilkka
Publisher: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS
Publication year: 2020
Journal: Spine
Journal name in source: SPINE
Journal acronym: SPINE
Volume number: 45
Issue number: 23
Start page: E1572
End page: E1579
Number of pages: 8
ISSN: 0362-2436
eISSN: 1085-6684
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/BRS.0000000000003681
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://helda.helsinki.fi/bitstream/10138/336954/1/Virkki_et_al_Health_Related_Quality_of_Life_Outcomes_of_Instrumented_Circumferential_.pdf
Study Design. A prospective study on the clinical, radiographic, and the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes in adolescents with spondylolisthesis undergoing instrumented circumferential spinal fusion compared with age and sex matched controls.
Objective. To determine the outcomes of pediatric spondylolisthesis patients minimum 2 years after surgery and to compare their HRQOL with age and sex matched controls.
Summary of Background Data. There is limited evidence of the HRQOL of adolescent spondylolisthesis patients after surgery and no studies comparing it with healthy controls.
Methods. Twenty-six consecutive adolescents (mean age 14.7 yr, range 10-18 yr) undergoing instrumented reduction with intercorporeal spinal fusion for spondylolisthesis (11 low-grade, 15 high-grade) by a single orthopedic surgeon were included to this study cohort and matched by age and sex with two controls. The HRQOL was measured with Scoliosis Research Society-24 (SRS-24) questionnaire before surgery, 6 months and 2 years after the surgery.
Results. The mean (SD) vertebral slip in the low-grade patients was 25% (13%) and 67% (15%) in the high-grade patients and 6% (7%) and 21% (25%) postoperatively, respectively (P <= 0.041 for both comparisons). Three (12%) patients developed a non-union during follow-up. None of the patients developed a persistent neurologic deficit, but two (8%) patients presented with chronic postsurgical pain persisting 24 months. Seven (27%) of the patients had reoperations for any reason during the follow-up. Pain and activity domains of the SRS-24 improved significantly from preoperative to 2-year follow-up (P <= 0.007 for both). SRS pain, self-image, function domains, and total score were significantly worse as compared with the 52 controls (P <= 0.020 for all comparisons).
Conclusion. Risk of non-union is relatively low after instrumented spinal reduction in adolescents with spondylolisthesis. HRQOL improves significantly after instrumented reduction and circumferential spinal fusion in adolescents with spondylolisthesis, but remains at statistically lower level than in the controls.
