Long scoliosis fusion to the sacrum in adults with nonparalytic scoliosis. An improved method.

The first 17 adults with nonparalytic scoliosis having long fusion to the sacrum treated with the Luque-Galveston technique were reviewed. There were 3 men and 14 women. Their average age at the time of surgery was 47 years and the mean follow-up period was 42 months. There were no neurologic complications and no patient developed significant loss of lumbar lordosis. Fusion occurred in 88% of patients. Two patients developed pseudarthrosis, neither of whom had anterior fusion at the level of pseudarthrosis. The best results occurred in patients who had two-stage procedures, with initial anterior lumbar fusion to the sacrum without instrumentation followed by posterior segmental instrumentation with the Galveston technique of fixation to the pelvis.