Abstract
Every patient suffering from kyphoscoliosis producing increasing abnormal neurological symptoms needs permanent neurological supervision. If conservative orthopaedic treatment does not result soon in a significant improvement, a Queckenstedt test and, if necessary, myelography has to be performed. If there is a complete or incomplete block to the passage of cerebro-spinal fluid, surgical treatment should be performed as soon as possible.
Young and adolescent patients have an especially good chance of recovery after decompression of the cord. Normally a laminectomy is performed. If necessary bony ridges, abnormal ligaments and adhesions have to be removed. Vessels have to be preserved carefully. We consider that in many cases it is necessary to open the dura in order to get better decompression. To leave the dura open, however, would lead to the development of postoperative adhesions of the cord. Therefore we prefer to close the widely opened dura again by a transplant of fascia lata. Spinal tumours connected with scoliosis have to be managed according to general neurosurgical rules.
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Fromm, H. Scoliosis and paraplegia. Spinal Cord 5, 17–21 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.1967.3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.1967.3