Rod derotation and translation techniques provide comparable functional outcomes for surgical correction of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis – A retrospective, cross-sectional study

Objectives: To compare the functional outcome of the two most commonly used methods of Adolescence Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) correction surgery using rod rotation and translation techniques from a single center in Indonesia. Method: We performed retrospective, cross-sectional study of patients with AIS who underwent deformity correction surgery by either technique in Fatmawati General Hospital from January 2016 to March 2018. All patients were asked to complete scoliosis research society (SRS)-22 questionnaire. Result: Both methods of surgical correction yielded similar functional outcome as recorded in SRS-22 score, 3.67 for rod derotation technique and 3.44 for translation technique (p = 0.235). Conclusion: Both rod derotation and translation technique resulted in equally desirable quality of life for AIS patients, in line with what would be expected from the literatures. Neither technique can be judged superior to the other. Therefore, the decision to use rotation or translation technique, as well as to compliment it with additional correction methods, should be made by the surgeon according to personal preference, experience, and comfort.