Vertebral Body Tethering Surgery Gives Jordanian Teenager a New Spine; How Does It Differ from Spinal Fusion?

A teenage Jordan girl has recently had a new spine of rope in a pioneering surgery in Dubai, that made her the first-ever recipient of the procedure in the MENA region.

An Al Arabiya News report said that 13-year-old Salma Naser Nawayseh underwent the pioneering surgery known as vertebral body tethering or VBT, where a piece of rope is run down the spine's length.

How Vertebral Body Tethering Surgery Gave Jordanian Teenager a New Spine; How Does It Differ From Spinal Fusion?

Screws are then inserted into every section of the spring to help correct the rope's tension for the curve to be corrected.

Following surgery at the Burjeel Hospital, a week ago, the teenager is already making a significant recovery and is currently not only back walking, but plans to return to the tennis courts soon to resume one of her most loved hobbies.

Diagnosed with Scoliosis

The teen's parents noticed the curve in her spine in April this year. They were shocked when doctors diagnosed her with scoliosis, a condition in which there is an abnormal lateral curve of the spine.

Essentially, scoliosis can develop in infancy or early childhood. Nonetheless, the primary age of onset for scoliosis is 10 to 15 years.

While this condition affects around two percent of the population, most cases are mild and do not necessitate invasive treatment.

If the condition is left untreated, moderate to severe scoliosis can result in pain, increasing deformity, and potential lung and heart problems.

Treatment Options

Consultant orthopedic surgeon Dr. Firas Husban, from Burjeel Hospital said, when Salma, a Grade 9 pupil, came to him, she had a 65-degree thoracolumbar curve.

And, as specified in a similar Arab News report, because of the teenage girl's condition, she suffered deformity of her back with shortening of the trunk, lower back hump, back pain, and unlevelled pelvis.

The doctor explained that adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is the most common type and is typically diagnosed during puberty.

The three treatment options for the said patients include observation, bracing, and surgery. While bracing is a choice in patients with mild forms of scoliosis, in the case of Salma, she needed surgery to correct such a deformity.

The traditional option to correct scoliosis is called "spinal fusion surgery," where vertebrae or two are permanently joined into a single structure using screws and rods.

Spinal Fusion

While spinal fusion is considered the most typical surgery for scoliosis treatment, it limits spinal mobility and subsequent growth. In 2019, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved Vertebral Body Tethering, a minimally invasive approach that allows for continued growth minus fusion while preserving motion and flexibility.

This new treatment, described on the Cincinnati Children's website, enables fusionless spine correction, allowing the patient to experience the full range of motion and further development.

Its other drawbacks include discreet incision, lesser complications, minimal trauma, and faster healing. As the teenager had not yet reached full skeletal maturity, doctors said she was the perfect candidate to undergo the procedure.

Dr.Husband also explained, contradicting spinal surgeries involving cutting into the back and manipulating the spinal cord and nerve roots, in this surgery, the doctors are making discreet incisions in the abdomen through the endoscope."

Still describing the treatment, the doctor added, that a flexible cord, also known as a tether, is attached to the spine outside the curve through bone screws.

Related information about spinal fusion is shown on Setting Scoliosis Straight Foundation's YouTube video below:

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