Abstract:

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a severe neuromuscular disease characterized by the degeneration of α motor neuron in the spinal cord and progressive proximal muscle weakness. It will also cause other multisystem diseases such as skeletal system, respiratory system and digestive system with the development of the disease process. Among them, scoliosis is the commonest orthopaedic complication. This article introduces the natural history of SMA combined with scoliosis, as well as the conservative treatment and surgical treatment methods for different degrees of scoliosis, and focuses on the significance of preoperative evaluation of multidisciplinary team and the surgical strategies of severe scoliosis. The purpose is to provide a clinical algorithm for reference about the precise surgical treatment of SMA combined with scoliosis.

Key words: spinal muscular atrophy, scoliosis, conservative management, surgery