Treatment
Posterior Spinal Fusion for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
What You Need to Know
Children’s National Hospital has a team of highly-specialized experts that work together to correct idiopathic scoliosis in adolescents using posterior spinal fusion surgery. Children with idiopathic scoliosis have an abnormal curve in their spine and may show the following signs:
- Shoulders are uneven
- Head is not centered with the rest of the body
- Hips are uneven
- Shoulder blade heights are uneven or in different positions
- One shoulder blade is more prominent than the other
Posterior spinal fusion is the surgical process of straightening the spine and preventing the curve from getting worse. Metal implants are used to hold the spine in a straighter position until the bones fuse together.
The team at Children’s National works to make the recovery after this surgery as easy as possible for patients and families. Our experts have created the very first Spinal Fusion Surgical Home to streamline care and facilitate faster recovery.
Related Resources
Videos on Life After Posterior Spinal Fusion
Incision Care
Safe Mobilization
Walking and Maneuvering Stairs
Meet the Providers Who Perform Posterior Spinal Fusion for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
Gabriella's Story
For Gabriella, scoliosis surgery changed her life � in more ways than she expected. Read Gabriella's Story.
Departments that Offer Posterior Spinal Fusion
Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine
From sprains and strains to complex congenital conditions, Children's National Hospital offers one of the most experienced pediatric orthopaedic practices in the nation, with experience in treating all areas from head to toe.