• Manjot Singh, Zhao Yan, Mohammad Daher, John Hanna, Bassel G Diebo, and Alan H Daniels.
• Department of Orthopedics, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
• World Neurosurg. 2024 Oct 1; 190: e525e536e525-e536.

BackgroundPrior reviews investigating the impact of pregnancy on adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) have reached different conclusions and a meta-analysis of curve progression among pregnant females with AIS and its effects on clinical outcomes has not previously been performed.MethodsA comprehensive search of major bibliographic databases (PubMed, Embase, and Scopus) was conducted for articles pertaining to spinal curve progression during pregnancy among patients with AIS. Patient demographics, scoliotic curve outcomes, and patient-reported quality of life measures were extracted.ResultsTen studies, including 857 patients with a mean age of 28.7 years, were included. Before pregnancy, 42.1% had undergone spinal fusion and 59.0% had a thoracic curve. Based on prepregnancy and postpregnancy radiographs, the curve increased from 33.9°-38.5°, and meta-analysis revealed a curve progression of 3.6° (range = -5.85 to 1.25, P = 0.003), primarily arising from loss of correction in the unfused group (Unfused = -5.0, P = 0.040; Fused = -3.0, P = 0.070). At the same time, 45.9% patients reported increased low back pain and many reported a negative body self-image and limitations in sexual function. However, 5 studies noted that pregnancy and number of pregnancies were not associated with curve progression, and multiple studies identified similar quality of life-related changes in non-pregnant patients with AIS.ConclusionsAmong unfused pregnant females with AIS, the spinal curvature increased significantly by 5.0° from before to after pregnancy. However, these changes may be independent of pregnancy status and occur with time. Such curve progression can contribute to a negative body self-image, low back pain, and functional limitations irrespective of pregnancy state.Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

19 keywords...

hide…