Surgical Release During Scoliosis Surgery

Surgery for scoliosis typically consists of spinal fusion surgery. During this procedure, contractured soft tissue and sometimes bone must be removed in order to allow the surgeon to straighten the spine. Differing amounts of release are performed depending on the particular case of scoliosis and the surgeon’s planned amount of correction. It is important to note that a surgeon typically does not straighten the spine fully, but is only able to reduce the scoliosis to an extent as there are many limiting factors affecting how straight a spine can be made, even with surgery. This infographic covers what is done by the surgeon during this “release” of soft tissue and bone as part of spinal fusion surgery for scoliosis. It does not include the additional surgical steps performed during spinal fusion surgery such as the insertion of rods or screws, mechanical straightening of the spine, or any other parts of the procedure.

Infographic Source: https://scoliosiscarecenters.com/surgical-release-what-happens-during-scoliosis-spinal-fusion-surgery/