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Spine deformity surgery at the Kenyatta National Hospital: a one year audit


A Fazal

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the radiological and clinical outcome of surgical treatment of spinal deformity.
Design: Case series.
Setting: Kenyatta National Hospital between March 2012 and February 2013.
Patients and Methods: These cases were done as part of the spine project run at Kenyatta National Hospital which is held every quarter. All patients who underwent spine surgery during the four projects held during the study period were recruited into the study. Radiological outcome was assessed using Cobb angle measurement pre and post-operatively hence assessing percentage correction. All patients were followed for a minimum of two months and early complications recorded.
Results: A total of nine patients were recruited into the study. Eight were females and one was male. The average age at operation was 14.44 years. Seven patients had a diagnosis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and two had congenital scoliosis. The mean Cobb angle was 71.4º pre-operatively and 32.6o post-operatively representing a percentage correction of 54.3%. If you removed the two cases of congenital scoliosis, the mean correction of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis cases alone was 68.6%. The average operating time was 5.8 hours. There were two early complications; one superficial infection and one patient who suffered a foot drop.
Conclusion: In the correct indications, surgery for spine deformity surgery can be carried out safely with predictable outcomes.

Keywords: MeSH database, Scoliosis, Adolescent, Idiopathic, Spine, Instrumentation, Congenital, Kenya

EAOJ; Vol. 7: September 2013

Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 1994-1072
print ISSN: 1994-1072