OBJECTIVE: to assess health-related quality of life in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis by SF-36 after surgical treatment, in comparison with questionnaires done before operation. METHODS: between February 2004 and March 2006, 28 patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis surgically treated by the spine group of Hospital Mário Covas, in Santo André, were assessed. All the patients were treated surgically by posterior approach and fusion with third generation instrumental. These patients had trunk rotation and Cobb angle more than 50º to have surgical indication. All patients were submitted to SF-36 before and after one month, six months, one year and two years after surgery. The SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences), version 13.0 for statistical analysis was used. RESULTS: statistical significant differences were noted in four domains of SF-36: physical functioning, bodily pain, role physical and social functioning. In the other four domains, general health, mental health, role emotional and vitality there were no statistical differences in the observed moments. CONCLUSION: in the present study, the patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, submitted to surgical procedures for deformity correction, had better results in the physical aspects assessed by SF-36.
Quality of life; Scoliosis; Adolescent; Treatment outcome; Questionnaires
