A new approach to scoliosis

Despite the advantages that new derotation-based systems have brought to the treatment of scoliosis, the debate continues, especially regarding adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Problems like decompensation, junctional kyphosis, and insufficient sagittal plane alignment are met with new proposals. We now are using a technique and system, the Ibn-I Sina Spinal System (IBS), that we think is able to overcome these problems. It makes use of sublaminar wires, hooks, screws, and rods for correction. The main innovation is that the major corrective force is a controlled translation force acting simultaneously on all segments of the curve. A retrospective assessment of 25 patients treated with this system showed that besides dealing well with decompensation and junctional kyphosis problems, the technique was superior in sagittal plane adjustments, mainly in that it carried the normal kyphosis to its physiologic location. IBS has proved easy and successful in scoliosis treatment, especially with lordotic rigid curves. We encountered no neurologic injury or instrument failure. In addition to these advantages, ease of preoperative planning and application, decreased operation time, easy removal or revision, and versatility and safety of the system has made the Ibn-I Sina Spinal System (IBS) a treatment of choice, especially for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis cases, in some centers in Turkey. Received: 4 March 1998 Revised: 10 August 1998 Accepted: 26 October 1998