Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a spine deformity that affects the spine in all three axes.
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It may develop during growth period, or be secondary to degenerative pathologies.
It may be responsible for back pain and / or radicular pain (cruralgia, sciatica), especially when present since a long time.
The scoliosis may worsen over time.
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The surgical treatment may consist in different options depending many factors:
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Neurologic release to treat the radicular pain.
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Neurologic release and stabilization (fusion) on a short segment of the spine to avoid further progression of the scoliosis.
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Deformity correction associated with fusion and neurologic release if necessary.
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Scoliosis surgery
The surgical options when facing a scoliosis can be declined in three types:
To cure ​a pain in the lower limbs (sciatica or cruralgia), a simple decompression surgery can be done without fusion.
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In some cases, a short fusion can be done to treat an instability with a decompression if necessary.
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The third option is a deformity correction surgery. ​
Scoliosis surgery with deformity correction relies on fusion.
The vertebra in the scolioses are instrumented with screws which are used as anchors points to mobilize the spine.
The vertebra are positioned along two metallic rods that have the adequate shape for the spine.
Sometimes, to facilitate the correction, some complementary steps are required like insertion of a cage between two vertebra, or a bony resection (osteotomy). Bone grafting is done to ensure proper bone healing and definitive stability.
Radiographic evaluation of scoliosis and spinal deformity: EOS, the key exam.
The main radiologic investigation to assess spine pathologies and especially scoliosis is the EOS.​
- 10 times less radiation than a regular Xray.
The EOS is producing less X rays than a regular radiography. This is a crucial point in scoliosis, since patients need to take regular radiologic explorations during a life long follow-up.
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- Complete evaluation :
The EOS produces full skeleton visualisation, thus providing a global evaluation, as well as a more localized and focused spine evaluation.
It also allows to see more than just the spine itself. Considering pelvis and lower limbs positions and anatomy is of the utmost importance when making a diagnosis or a treatment plan.
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- Spine and pelvic parameters, as well as 3D reconstruction:
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All spinal and spinopelvic parameters that are essentials for a precise evaluation and to establish an optimal treatment plan can be assessed on the EOS. It also offers 3D reconstructions, providing informations about each vertebra position, in all 3 space plans.
