Paper #35: Ventral Rod Migration of Posteriorly Applied Growing Rod Technology for Early Onset Scoliosis

Summary

As growing rod technology evolves, we discover complications of it’s use previously undescribed. Ventral rod migration(VRM) is a potentially catastrophic complication of growing rods. We defined VRM as ventral movement > 2 mm at the kyphotic apex, plotted from the posterior dorsal cortex of the apical lamina on axial CT. A review of CT imaging was conducted to assess for unidentified evidence of VRM. VRM was demonstrated in 3 patients, 1 of whom demonstrated rods positioned within the spinal canal.