Stability of the scoliotic spine after fusion

The factors during and after operation which influence the development of a solid and stable posterior spinal fusion have been evaluated in 406 patients with scoliosis. The patients were managed in three different ways and all pseudarthroses were accurately detected by exploring the spines six months after the attempted fusion. The incidence of pseudarthroses was significantly lowered from 25 per cent in Group I to 3.8 per cent in Group III by the application of Harrington instrumentation and the use of large amounts of autogenous iliac bone grafts in addition to an interfacetal fusion. Early mobilisation 7 to 10 days after operation and a return to normal activities in a well-moulded underarm plaster jacket did not have a detrimental effect on the development of the fusion or the early maintenance of correction. Those spines with supplementary bone grafts stabilised more rapidly and had better maintenance of correction with only minimal loss after removal of all external support at 10 months.