Monitoring
Once the diagnosis of AIS has been made, patients are typically monitored at 4- to-6-month intervals until skeletal maturity is reached. This monitoring involves repeat clinical evaluation (including history of recent growth, development of symptoms, and assessment of changes in symmetry) and standing PA and lateral x-rays (to assess for curve progression and radiographic evidence of advancing skeletal maturity/remaining skeletal growth).
After skeletal maturity, the patient is monitored in 1-, 2-, or 3-year increments depending on the curve severity and patient symptoms. Based on long-term follow-up data, it is likely not necessary to continue radiographic follow-up in patients with curves <30° after skeletal maturity.[50]
If curve progression requires surgical arthrodesis, the patient is typically monitored more frequently in the initial postoperative period in order to check for the development of postoperative complications, including infection, neurologic deficit or injury, pseudarthrosis, proximal or distal junctional kyphosis, and the crankshaft phenomenon.
Once clinical and radiographic evidence of arthrodesis has been established, the patient is monitored annually.
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