Abstract

The authors conducted a retrospective study on 24 consecutive adolescent scoliosis patients, 11 of whom were instrumented with hooks and 13 with hooks and screws (hybrid technique). The mean preoperative Cobb angle was 62.2° (range : 48°-96°). The mean correction of the primary curve was 56.6% at follow-up after ±1.18 years ; there was no statistically significant difference between groups. Special attention was given to the postoperative quality of life (QOL) by means of the following scores : COMI patient self-assessment, SF-36, ODI, and VAS. Again, there was no statistical difference between groups but, interestingly, there was no correlation between QOL and degree of correction, after a follow-up period of ±2.1 years. Nevertheless, on the COMI patient self-assessment, there was a high level of satisfaction with treatment. Further studies should concentrate on how to achieve a high QOL, and abandon the best possible correction as a primary endpoint of success.