Eighty-seven adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis (77 female and 10 male p
atients) who underwent posterior spinal fusion with instrumentation using o
nly allograft bone for graft material were evaluated retrospectively. The a
verage age at surgery was 14 years 3 months. Each patient had a minimum 2-y
ear followup, with an average of 3 years 5 months followup, The average pre
operative curve was 59 degrees thoracic (range, 31 degrees-90 degrees) and
52 degrees lumbar (range, 21 degrees-65 degrees). At followup, the thoracic
curve measured an average of 35 degrees and the lumbar curve measured an a
verage of 34 degrees. The average loss of correction from the immediate pos
toperative period until last followup was 6.5 degrees or 11% in the thoraci
c curve and 10 degrees or 19% in the lumbar curve. There were seven reopera
tions; one of these reoperations involved repair of a pseudarthrosis, There
was one clinical infection. The typical patient had a 2-ounce allograft at
an average cost of $800, The patients' average loss of correction, complic
ation rate, and reoperation rate compare favorably with results reported in
other series using autograft bone. The authors of this study showed the ab
ility of allograft bone to produce reliable results with a satisfactory out
come. The potential advantages of using allograft must be weighed against t
he potential disadvantages before recommending its routine use.