| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4094699 | Seminars in Spine Surgery | 2014 | 7 Pages |
Adult scoliosis is a complex issue, providing unique challenges to both the spine surgeon and the patient. Recently, there has been an interest in examining the quality of life of patients undergoing treatment for adult spinal deformity to compare the value of nonoperative versus operative management. This article reviews the current literature on the treatment of adult spinal deformity, in hopes of drawing conclusions for the best approach to these patients. Quality of life outcome measures and cost-effectiveness are reviewed to better understand the benefits, or lack thereof, of management options. It is crucial for spine surgeons to begin to use the same validated measures when studying this cohort of patients in order to compare treatments and draw appropriate conclusions. There is currently no literature reporting the quality-adjusted life years (QALY) or cost–utility of surgical treatment of adult scoliosis. Only one study analyzing the cost of nonoperative treatment for adult scoliosis was identified. Future prospective studies focusing on the cost-effectiveness of adult scoliosis treatment with an emphasis on improving the quality of life of these patients are needed to confirm the current retrospective literature's assertion that surgery provides better quality of life than nonoperative treatment.
