COMPLICATIONS AFTER POSTERIOR SPINAL-FUSION IN DUCHENNES MUSCULAR-DYSTROPHY

Patients with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy often develop progressive scoliosis. Should spinal stabilization be necessary, these patients ar e considered at high risk for surgically related complications. This r etrospective study of 30 patients with Duchenne's examined the prevale nce and types of complications associated with posterior spinal fusion and determined the percentage of patients who lived greater than or e qual to 2 years beyond surgery. Major complications related to cardiop ulmonary compromise, infection, or hardware complications occurred in 27%, and minor complications occurred in another 16%. Seventy-seven pe rcent of the patients lived greater than or equal to 2 years beyond th eir surgery. The majority of patients and their families, including ha lf of those who had major complications, reported that surgery resulte d in an improvement in their quality of life. Although complications a re common, the benefits realized by the patient with Duchenne's muscul ar dystrophy with scoliosis reinforce the importance of surgical stabi lization.