No abstract

Background -The effect on subsequent respiratory function of spinal stabilisation for scoliosis in Duchenne muscular dystrophy is unclear. In order to clarify this clinical problem, changes in the forced vital capacity of a group of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who had undergone spinal surgery were measured and compared with a group of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who had not had surgery. Methods -In this retrospective study 17 boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who underwent spinal stabilisation at a mean age of 14-9 years (surgical group) were compared with 21 boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who had not had surgery (non-surgical group). The mean (SD) Cobb angle of the surgical group at 14-9 years was 57 (16.4)0, and of the non-surgical group at 15 years was 45 (29.9)°. Forced vital capacity expressed as percentage predicted (% FVC) was measured in total over a seven year period in the surgical group and over 6 5 years in the non-surgical group, and regression equations were calculated. Survival curves for both groups were also constructed. Results -No difference was found between spinal stabilisation (surgical group) and the non-surgical group in the rate of deterioration of % FVC which was 3-5% per year. There was no difference in survival in either group. Conclusions -Spinal stabilisation in Duchenne muscular dystrophy does not alter the decline in pulmonary function, nor does it improve survival.

The Women's and Children's Hospital experience with Luque spinal fusion in Duchenne's muscular dystrophy was reviewed from its commencement in 1983 to the present with a view to assessing the clinical and radiologic outcome and safety of the procedure. Seventeen boys have undergone spinal fusion. L-rod instrumentation was used in 10, six of whom had significant problems with sitting imbalance or progression of the scoliosis or both. In seven cases, distal instrumentation was taken to the pelvis with a Galveston construct and rigid crosslinking. Apart from some progression and sitting imbalance in the L-rod group, there were few complications. In the Galveston group, pelvic obliquity was corrected by a mean of 63%, and there was better maintenance of correction. There were no pseudoarthroses or instrument failures in the Galveston group. Of the total group, four patients had forced vital capacity (FVC) values < 25% predicted, and two required ventilation postoperative (< 48 h). There were no other respiratory complications. The effect of surgery on respiratory function remains uncertain. Spinal fusion with the Luque rod construct and pelvic fixation is a safe procedure. It provided a mean correction of 60% and control of pelvic obliquity without significant postoperative deterioration. In our experience, surgery can be safely performed with FVC value down to 20% predicted. On the basis of these data, one current practice is to instrument to the pelvis with a Galveston construct and Texas Scottish Rite Hospital cross-linking.

The clinical notes of 35 children presenting with scoliosis were reviewed; all 35 had been investigated with MRI. Seven were found to have syringomyelia, and six of these had Chiari malformation. Correction of the syrinx resulted in improvement or stabilisation of the spinal curvature. We recommend that all cases presenting with primary scoliosis should have MRI and should be treated if a syrinx is found.

Osteochondral fracture of the patella or femoral condyle may occur with patella dislocation. Accepted treatments of these fractures are excision or replacement. In this paper eight cases are described in which the Herbert Bone Screw system was used for fixation. Normal knee function was regained within 6 months and there were no reported recurrent dislocations. The advantages of this technique are that it is simple, there is little cartilage damage done during insertion, the screw is entirely buried and therefore does not interfere with the soft tissues, fixation is rigid enough to allow for the application of continuous passive motion to aid in cartilage repair, and re‐operation for removal is not necessary.