Study design:

Retrospective study.

Objective:

To clarify the health-related quality of life (QOL) of patients who had adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) at a minimum of 40 years after surgery.

Summary of background data:

The postoperative health-related QOL of middle-aged patients with AIS has been reported to be good, but that of middle-aged and older patients with AIS has yet to be completely explored.

Methods:

We included 179 patients with AIS who underwent spinal fusion(s) between 1968 and 1982. We conducted three surveys in 2009, 2014, and 2022. Patients self-administered both the SRS-22 and the RDQ questionnaires three times (in 2009, 2014, and 2022) and the ODI questionnaire was self-administered in 2014 and 2022. We considered patients who responded to all three surveys in 2009, 2014, and 2022.

Results:

For the SRS-22 questionnaires, no significant differences were detected among the three timepoints (2009, 2014, and 2022) for total scores, function domain, pain domain, self-image domain, mental domain, or satisfaction domain. The results of the RDQ questionnaires were also not significantly different among the surveys over time. The ODI questionnaires revealed a significant worsening of the 2022 results compared with the 2014 results. Eight patients (29.6%) who had an ODI deterioration of 10% or more had numerically fewer mobile lumbar discs than those with less than 10% deterioration of the ODI, although the difference did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusion:

Among patients with AIS who underwent spinal fusion(s) between 1968 and 1982, we found health-related QOL to be maintained over the last 13 years. Relatively good QOL was appreciated in this population of patients who are now middle-aged and older.