Modified Luque-Galveston procedure for stabilisation of neuromuscular scoliosis and pelvic obliquity: results from a specialist paediatric spinal unit

The objective of this paper is to describe a modified method and to present our results for stabilization of the vertebral column to the pelvis in patients with neuromuscular scoliosis. This technique attempts to address difficulties posed by distal fixation in such cases. A retrospective review of nine consecutive patients with neuromuscular scoliosis was carried out. All patients in this group had surgical correction between 1999 and 2002. Immediate post-operative mean corrections of 65.1A degrees (Cobb angle) and 10.6A degrees (pelvic obliquity) were obtained. Mean follow-up time was 39 months (range: 36-48). Mean operating times of 497 min and mean blood loss of 57.2 ml/kg body weight were achieved. All patients reached clinical and radiological spinal fusion with no loss of correction seen at latest follow-up visit. Obtaining adequate distal fixation with the standard Luque-Galveston technique can be difficult in patients with neuromuscular scoliosis who often have a porotic pelvis. These difficulties can be minimised by the modified technique described in this paper.