Posterior hemivertebrectomy for correction of congenital kyphosis in adulthood: case report and literature review

• Molina, Marcelo

• Adulthood

Congenital kyphosis is an infrequent cause of kyphosis with a potential severe progressive deformity and neurological damage. There are few reports in the literature about congenital kyphosis focusing on adults. Case presentation: 24-year-old male with progressive dorsal pain, paresthesias, and numbness in his legs. Physical examination demonstrated a rigid kyphotic deformity with tenderness on the apex, neurologically intact. The diagnosis was a T10 butterfly posterior hemivertebra with segmental kyphosis of 48 degrees. The patient was treated surgically with a single posterior procedure, performing a complete T10 hemivertebrectomy and instrumented fixation from T8 to T12. The postoperative assessment demonstrated a segmental kyphosis of 14 degrees with 34º of correction, without surgical complications, and good functional results during 4 years of follow-up. Conclusion: Posterior-only hemivertebra resection is an effective procedure for treating congenital kyphosis, providing an excellent correction of the deformity with a good functional outcome. Intraoperative imaging tools, such as CT scans and navigation systems, can aid in performing the surgery and improve outcomes.