Thoracic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: selection of fusion level.

Selection of the appropriate fusion levels in thoracic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis has been traditionally a subject of debate among surgeons. Landmarks that have been suggested include the end vertebra, stable vertebra and neutral vertebra. Various results have been reported with multiple theories proposed to explain them. The clinical appearance of the patient, the type of the curve and its flexibility, the surgical technique and the instrumentation used all seem to play major roles in selecting the appropriate levels of fusion.