Intraoperative diagnosis of neurological complications in surgery of severe scoliosis: report of clinical cases

Abstract

Clinical observations of 13- and 15-year-old patients with severe (118° and 133°) idiopathic scoliosis, subjected to operative correction with the use of segmental instrumentation are presented. Intraoperative monitoring of the spinal cord function was performed by recording motor potentials of the brain and skin thermometry from the lower limbs (authors’ technique). During the operation, there was a gradual decrease in potentials in one case and sharp in another, with no changes in cutaneous temperature. Based on the data of skin thermometry, surgeons decided not to remove the implant and to bring the operation to completion in both cases. In the postoperative period, neuro- logical complications were not revealed. The conclusion is made about the advisability of including the skin thermometry in a complex of intraoperative monitoring of spinal cord function in patients with spine deformities.

Keywords

• idiopathic scoliosis
• intraoperative monitoring
• skin thermometry