Superiorly based laminoplasty in children: average 6.8-year follow-up of 21 patients.

This study is a retrospective review of patients with pediatric laminoplasty. The objective was to determine the incidence of postlaminoplasty deformity. Long-term follow-up of patients with pediatric laminoplasty is lacking. Previous studies have shown spine deformity to be as high as 100% following laminectomy procedures. From 1986 until present, 31 superiorly based laminoplasties were performed on pediatric patients, ranging from two to 12 levels. Twenty-one of the 31 were available for complete review. A retrospective review of the radiographic deformity of these patients was conducted. Preoperative and postoperative scoliotic and kyphotic deformities were measured, and the correlating diagnoses were recorded. The average follow-up period was 6.8 years, and average age at follow-up was 11.9 years. Sixteen of 21 showed no increase in spinal deformity. Five of 21 showed nonunion at one or more levels. Five patients showed an increased deformity, of which two required surgical intervention to correct deformity. Although the technique of laminoplasty has very low morbidity (essentially no different from laminectomy), this review has not shown that this procedure eliminates postsurgical deformity. However, we recommend the use of laminoplasty in the pediatric patient because it may reduce the incidence of deformity, allow future segmental instrumentation if necessary, and has a low morbidity.