Case Study: Congenital Spinal Deformity

During Dr. McConnell’s  yearly mission trip to Kolkata, India to support Operation Straight Spine he will often see cases of congenital spinal deformities.  This past year was no exception.  Congenital spinal deformity is caused by an abnormality in the growth of one or more spinal vertebra and occurs before birth.  After the child is born and during their most rapid periods of growth the spinal deformity can become quite severe and produce significant disability if not corrected early.

This is a case of a 22-year old man with severe congenital kyphoscoliosis who came to us complaining of back pain and progressive weakness in his legs.  The 3D CT scan of the spine pictured here shows just how severe his congenital deformity had become over the years.  The deformity was causing pressure on his spinal cord resulting in the weakness of his legs.

Surgery was performed to straighten his spine and relieve pressure on the spinal cord.  The procedure involved removing two of the deformed vertebrae and inserting a cage to replace them. Spinal rods and screws were inserted to stabilize and keep the spine straight while the area fused together with bone graft.

The patient had complete recovery of his leg weakness and was very pleased with his post-operative condition.

To learn more about Operation Straight Spine please visit our website at www.healingspines.org