Theme: Spinal Fusion

John Emans, MD, pediatric orthopedic surgeon, at Boston Children’s Hospital – For most children with a neuromuscular curve, maintaining a sitting position becomes increasingly difficult as their curve worsens.  There are several ways to combat that in a short run: adaptive seating equipment; a body jacket or brace. Surgery is the final option for children with bad curvature that equipment doesn’t help: it partially straightens or straightens the spine; more importantly, it stabilizes the spine permanently so that it won’t collapse over time.