Functional scoliosis as a long-term complication of surgical ligation for patent ductus arteriosus in premature infants.

Follow-up evaluation was performed on two groups of children, all premature infants who had undergone surgical ligation of a patent ductus arteriosus in the first days of life (Group I, 12 months postligation; Group II, 4 years postligation). Overall, two of 11 patients had significant functional scoliosis associated with weakness of shoulder girdle musculature and three additional patients had functional weakness on the affected side but with normal vertebral alignment. Patients post-patent ductus ligation should be observed for this long-term complication.