Severe Scheurmann’s Kyphosis

Posterior Osteotomy
TH required multiple posterior osteotomies (called “Smith-Peterson” or “Ponte Osteotomies”) to straighten her spine to normal degrees of kyphosis. Normally the vertebra contact each other through 3 joints at each level: one disc in the front, and two sliding facets in the back. In the thoracic spine, the facets look like shingles on a roof, and will only allow you to bend backward so far. In this osteotomy, we remove the facets and bend the spine backward further than normal. Over one level, only a little bit of correction will occur (5-15 degrees). However, over many levels, large amounts of correction can be achieved.

A 45 year old woman noticed that her hunched back was leaning forward every year causing a severe amount of pain. With time, she needed many pillows to sleep because her back was no longer flexible. After several years of strengthening her spine, she agreed to undergo a spinal fusion. After surgery, the majority of her back pain went away, and she was able to stand up much straighter.