Comparisons of health-related quality of life of adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis undergoing anterior spinal fusion with extrapleural and posterior lumbar spinal fusion with transpleural treatments using scoliosis research society-22 questionnaire

Background: Conventional posterior lumbar spinal fusion (PLSF) surgical treatment in severe adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients involved transpleural technique. AIS patients undergoing anterior spinal fusion (ASF) together with extrapleural treatments in the treatment of thoracolumbar scoliosis are well known for its effect in curve correction. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients after ASF and PLSF has yet to be explored. Subjects and Methods: Severe AIS patients underwent ASF with extrapleural or PLSF with transpleural treatments filled out Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) questionnaire before and after surgery. HRQOL before and after surgery was compared. HRQOL between ASF and PLSF was also compared. Results: Twenty-eight patients (10 ASF extrapleural and 18 PLSF transpleural) filled out the SRS-22 questionnaire before and after surgery. No significant difference in function, pain, self-image, mental, satisfaction, and mean scores between ASF and PLSF. All mentioned domains and mean scores were significantly improved after surgery in both ASF and PLSF. Conclusions: Significant improvements in all HRQOL domains after either treatment after surgery were observed, while there was no difference when compared with each other postoperatively. ASF with extrapleural treatment provided same HRQOL as of PLSF