The Age of Definitive Fusion Surgery for Early Onset Scoliosis Has Remained Constant Over the Past 2 Decades

BACKGROUND: Treatment options for early-onset scoliosis (EOS) are confounded by the risks associated with intervention at a younger age. Spinal instrumentation must be considered carefully due to potentially adverse effects to the spine, chest wall, and lungs. Posterior spinal fusion before subsequent growth can also lead to the crankshaft phenomenon. With the recent increasing interest in delaying spinal fusion, we aim to determine trends in patient age selection at a single definitive (termed "one and done") fusion for EOS. METHODS: We identified 791 patients from 2005 to 2022 who met the inclusion criteria (age 5 y or younger, single definitive fusion, and complete data). Patients who underwent a hemivertebrae resection with limited fusion were not included. Multiple linear regression was performed with date of fusion as the independent variable and age at definitive fusion as the dependent variable. Our regression included race and sex to control for their effects as confounders. We repeated this analysis with groups separated by scoliosis etiology and sex. Coefficients with P