# Multidisciplinary treatment of severe spinal deformity complicated with severe cardiopulmonary dysfunction: a case report

**Authors:** Beiyu Xu, Chao Li, Longtao Qi, Yao Zhao, Wence Wu, Chengxian Yang, Ranlv Zhu, Zhengrong Yu, Chunde Li

PMC · DOI: 10.1186/s13052-025-01925-9 · 2025-03-24

## TL;DR

This case report describes the successful treatment of a 13-year-old boy with severe spinal deformity and life-threatening heart and lung issues using a team-based approach.

## Contribution

The paper presents a novel multidisciplinary treatment strategy for severe spinal deformity with cardiopulmonary failure in a high-risk pediatric patient.

## Key findings

- Non-invasive ventilation and Halo-pelvic traction significantly improved the patient's spinal deformity and respiratory function.
- Posterior spinal fusion achieved a 69% correction of deformity and resolved cardiopulmonary dysfunction.
- Multidisciplinary cooperation was critical for managing a high-risk pediatric patient with severe spinal and cardiopulmonary issues.

## Abstract

Severe spinal deformity (Cobb angle > 90°) often leads to cardiopulmonary dysfunction, posing significant surgical risks. We report a rare case of severe kyphoscoliosis with cardiopulmonary failure treated with non-invasive ventilation, anti-shock treatment, Halo-pelvic traction (HPT), and orthopedic surgery, emphasizing the importance of multidisciplinary cooperation.

A 13-year-old Boy with genetic suspicion of distal arthrogryposis (Type 5D) presented with Cobb angles of 94° (scoliosis) and 69° (kyphosis), respiratory failure (PO2 36.3 mmHg), and pre-shock status. A multidisciplinary team stabilized the patient using non-invasive ventilation, nutritional optimization and HPT. Post-traction correction rates reached 46.8% (coronal) and 53.6% (sagittal). Subsequent posterior spinal fusion (T1-L5) achieved 69% correction, resolving cardiopulmonary dysfunction and resulting in a highly satisfactory therapeutic outcome.

This case illustrates a case with severe spinal deformity combined with extremely severe cardiopulmonary dysfunction and highlights the importance of multidisciplinary cooperation in high-risk pediatric patients.

## Linked entities

- **Diseases:** distal arthrogryposis (MONDO:0019942), respiratory failure (MONDO:0021113)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (taxon 9606)

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** kyphoscoliosis (MESH:C565711), shock (MESH:D012769), 5D (OMIM:615065), cardiopulmonary failure (MESH:D051437), cardiopulmonary dysfunction (MESH:D006323), spinal deformity (MESH:D013122), scoliosis (MESH:D012600), distal arthrogryposis (MESH:C535378), kyphosis (MESH:D007738), respiratory failure (MESH:D012131)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Figures

4 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC11934723/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC11934723