Congenital scoliosis with unilateral failure of vertebral segmentation has a high rate of progression to surgical treatment levels

In the article, “Prognosis for Congenital Scoliosis Due to a Unilateral Failure of Vertebral Segmentation,” McMaster and McMaster published results of 171 patients from the Scottish National Spine Deformity Center, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh. Among these patients, the presence of congenital scoliosis caused by a unilateral unsegmented bar was associated with a 2-3 degree per year progression of scoliosis prior to age 10 years, and a more rapid progression after age 10 years of 4-7 degrees. In this study, 36 patients had immediate surgery, and an additional 74 patients underwent later surgery. The authors noted that the prognosis depends on multiple factors, including the remaining growth, the extent and location of the unsegmented vertebral structures, and the existing growth imbalance. The article was published in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.