Influence of Preoperative Disease Course on the Quality of Life of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Patients

To study the influence of preoperative disease course on the operation and postoperative quality of life of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients. Patients who were treated with simple posterior correction and pedicle-screw internal fixation were divided into two groups according to their preoperative disease courses: a short course group with preoperative course < 2 years (S group), and a long course group with preoperative course ≥ 2 years (L group). The gender, Lenke type, and major curve cob angle were matchable between the two groups, and 112 cases were included in each group. Various radiographic measurements and indices like fusion level, intraoperative blood loss and blood transfusion scores of SRS-22 were compared between the two groups during preoperative, postoperative and follow-up periods. The preoperative side scoliosis angle Cobb in S group was less than that in L group (P=0.040). The coronal plane and sagittal plane radiographic parameters were similar after operation, and there were no statistical differences between the volume of intraoperative blood loss and blood transfusion. The preoperative major scoliosis Cobb angles were similar between the two groups, but the flexibility of the major scoliosis in S group was larger than that in L group (P=0.039). The number of fused vertebrae in L group was higher than that in S group (P=0.024). The function/activity, pain, self-image/appearance, and mental health in the SRS-22 scales of the two groups had no statistical differences during follow-up, and L group had a lower satisfaction rate of treatment compared with S group (P = 0.037). The scoliosis flexibility decreased with increasing disease course. Disease course might be a risk factor for side scoliosis progression and it affected the quality of life of AIS patients after operation.