• Dominika Ignasiak, Pascal Behm, Anne F Mannion, Fabio Galbusera, Frank Kleinstück, Tamás F Fekete, Daniel Haschtmann, Dezsö Jeszenszky, Laura Zimmermann, Sarah Richner-Wunderlin, Alba Vila-Casademunt, Ferran Pellisé, Ibrahim Obeid, Javier Pizones, Francisco J Sánchez Pérez-Grueso, Muhammed Ilkay Karaman, Ahmet Alanay, Çaglar Yilgor, Stephen J Ferguson, Markus Loibl, and ESSG European Spine Study Group.
• Institute for Biomechanics, ETH Zurich, HPP O13, Hönggerbergring 64, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland. dominika.ignasiak@hest.ethz.ch.
• Eur Spine J. 2023 Feb 1; 32 (2): 571583571-583.

PurposeSagittal malalignment is a risk factor for mechanical complications after surgery for adult spinal deformity (ASD). Spinal loads, modulated by sagittal alignment, may explain this relationship. The aims of this study were to investigate the relationships between: (1) postoperative changes in loads at the proximal segment and realignment, and (2) absolute postoperative loads and postoperative alignment measures.MethodsA previously validated musculoskeletal model of the whole spine was applied to study a clinical sample of 205 patients with ASD. Based on clinical and radiographic data, pre-and postoperative patient-specific alignments were simulated to predict loads at the proximal segment adjacent to the spinal fusion.ResultsWeak-to-moderate associations were found between pre-to-postop changes in lumbar lordosis, LL (r =  - 0.23, r =  - 0.43; p < 0.001), global tilt, GT (r = 0.26, r = 0.38; p < 0.001) and the Global Alignment and Proportion score, GAP (r = 0.26, r = 0.37; p < 0.001), and changes in compressive and shear forces at the proximal segment. GAP score parameters, thoracic kyphosis measurements and the slope of upper instrumented vertebra were associated with changes in shear. In patients with T10-pelvis fusion, moderate-to-strong associations were found between postoperative sagittal alignment measures and compressive and shear loads, with GT showing the strongest correlations (r = 0.75, r = 0.73, p < 0.001).ConclusionsSpinal loads were estimated for patient-specific full spinal alignment profiles in a large cohort of patients with ASD pre-and postoperatively. Loads on the proximal segments were greater in association with sagittal malalignment and malorientation of proximal vertebra. Future work should explore whether they provide a causative mechanism explaining the associated risk of proximal junction complications.© 2022. The Author(s).

24 keywords...

hide…