Spinal Deformity After Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy in Ambulatory Patients With Cerebral Palsy

Thirty-four patients with ambulatory spastic diplegia (ages 10–19.8 years) who were part of a prospective study of selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) had standardized radiographs before and after SDR. Follow-up ranged from 5 to 11.6 years after surgery. Two different surgical approaches were used: laminectomy (14 patients) and laminoplasty (20 patients). Radiographs were measured for coronal and sagittal balance. Thirty patients had a spinal deformity at long-term follow-up compared with 10 patients before surgery. Seventeen patients (50%) developed lumbar hyperlordosis greater than 60°. Six patients (18%) developed grade 1 spondylolisthesis, Scoliosis occurred de novo in eight patients (24%) and progressed by greater than 5° in two patients with preoperative scoliosis. No significant differences were found between laminoplasty and laminectomy patients. None of the patients have undergone any surgical intervention for spinal deformity. There was a higher incidence of spinal deformity after SDR than in normals and an historical control population, which warrants clinical and radiographic long-term follow-up.