Growing rods in meningomyelocele lead to increased risk for complications in comparison with fusion; a retrospective study of 30 patients treated for at the University Hospital of Uppsala.

PURPOSE: To compare the complication rates of two different types of posterior instrumentation in patients with MMC, namely, definitive fusion and fusionless surgery (growing rods).

METHODS

Single-center retrospective study of 30 MMC patients that underwent posterior instrumentation for deformity (scoliosis and/or kyphosis) treatment from 2008 until 2020. The patients were grouped based on whether they received definitive fusion or a growth-accommodating system, whether they had a complication that led to early surgery, osteotomy or non-osteotomy. Number of major operations, Cobb angle correction and perioperative blood loss were the outcomes.

RESULTS

18 patients received a growing system and 12 were fused at index surgery. The growing system group underwent a mean of 2.38 (± 1.03) surgeries versus 1.91 (± 2.27) in the fusion group, p = 0.01. If an early revision was necessitated due to a complication, then the number of major surgeries per patient was 3.37 (± 2.44) versus 1.77 (± 0.97) in the group that did not undergo an early revision, p = 0.01. Four patients developed a superficial and six a deep wound infection, while loosening/breakage occurred in 10 patients. The Cobb angle was improved from a mean of 69 to 22 degrees postoperatively. Osteotomy did not lead to an increase in perioperative blood loss or number of major operations.

CONCLUSION

Growing systems had more major operations in comparison with fusion surgery and early revision surgery led to higher numbers of major operations per patient; these differences were statistically significant. Definitive fusion at index surgery might be the better option in some MMC patients with a high-risk profile.