Spinal fusion in Duchenne's muscular dystrophy

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 cross-linking. 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 postoperatively (<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 values down to 20% predicted. On the basis of these data, our current practice is to instrument to the pelvis with a Galveston construct and Texas Scottish Rite Hospital cross-linking.