1993 Costoplasty in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Description: J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1993 Nov;75(6):881-5. Costoplasty in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Objective results in 55 patients.Barrett DS, MacLean JG, Bettany J, Ransford AO, Edgar MA. Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, England. Costoplasty can reduce the important cosmetic deformity of rib prominence in scoliosis but there are few objective reports of correction. We recorded the results of three objective methods of assessing back shape before and after short-segment costoplasty in 55 patients. We showed that significant improvement was maintained over a two-year follow-up period. Primary costoplasty at the time of scoliosis surgery (n = 35) achieved greater proportional correction than secondary costoplasty performed after fusion of the spine (n = 20). The rib segments removed at primary surgery provided enough bone for the autogenous graft; harvesting from the pelvis was unnecessary. We report a new classification of rib morphology which helps in planning the site and extent of costoplasty, and in predicting the possible correction.