ArticleEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2022
The timing of tether breakage influences clinical results after VBT.
Article in European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed.
- Reoperation and fusion after documented tether breakage following vertebral body tethering: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Spine deformity · 2026Article
- Analysis of tether breakages during revision after failed thoracolumbar double-row vertebral body tethering.Spine deformity · 2026Article
- An in vitro study to identify worst-case parameters for assessing mechanical performance of anterior vertebral body tethering (AVBT) systems.Spine deformity · 2026Article
- Preoperative Fulcrum Flexibility >80% Is Associated With Clinical Success in Vertebral Body Tethering.Global spine journal · 2026Article
- Segmental range of motion of vertebral body tethering: an in-vitro analysis of single-tether, double-tether, and hybrid constructs.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2025Article
- Analysis of the risk factors for tether breakage after two-row vertebral body tethering (2RVBT) in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).Spine deformity · 2025Article
- A Comprehensive and Historical Review of Minimally Invasive Scoliosis Surgery in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: An Analysis of Research Trends and Hotspots.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- The role of thoracic surgeons in spinal surgery: our clinical experiences.Journal of cardiothoracic surgery · 2025Article
- Where does the tether break in vertebral body tethering cases? Clinical insights from revision cases after tether breakage.Spine deformity · 2025Article
- A case series in vertebral body tethering results in improvement in coronal Cobb angle but deterioration in axial rotation: a 3-dimensional analysis.Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong) · 2024Article
- Radiological Outcomes of Re-tethering for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A 2-to-5-year Follow-Up Case Series After Index Vertebral Body Tethering Failure.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2024Article
- Early-term outcome of apical fusion with vertebral body tethering for thoracolumbar curves in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a preliminary study.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2024Article
- Surgical Treatment of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis with the ApiFix Minimal Invasive Dynamic Correction System-A Preliminary Report of a 24-Month Follow-Up.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Anterior Vertebral Body Tethering for Skeletally Immature Patients with AIS: Indication for Spinal Fusion at Skeletal Maturity Is Not Obviated in 60% of Cases.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
- Radiographic outcome after vertebral body tethering of the lumbar spine.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2023Article
- An investigation of range of motion preservation in fusionless anterior double screw and cord constructs for scoliosis correction.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2023Article
- The different applications of Vertebral Body Tethering - Narrative review and clinical experience.Journal of orthopaedics · 2023Article
- Vertebral body tethering: An alternative to posterior spinal fusion in idiopathic scoliosis?Frontiers in pediatrics · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionTether breakage is a frequent mechanical complications after vertebral body tethering (VBT), but not all patients with a breakage show loss of correction. The reason of this clinical finding has not yet been clarified. We hypothesized that the integrity of the tether is relevant only in the early stages after VBT, when it drives growth modulation and tissue remodelling. After these mechanisms have taken place, the tether loses its function and a breakage will not alter the new shape of the spine. Thus, tether breakage would have a greater clinical relevance when occurring shortly after surgery.
methodsAll consecutive patients who underwent VBT and had a min. 2-year follow-up were included. The difference in curve magnitude between the 1st standing x-ray and the last follow-up was calculated (ΔCobb). For each curve, the presence and timing of tether breakage were recorded. The curves were grouped according to if and when the breakage was observed (no breakage, breakage at 0-6 months, 6-12 months, > 12 months). The ΔCobb was compared among these groups with the analysis of variance (ANOVA).
resultsData from 152 curves were available: 68 with no breakage, 12 with a breakage at 0-6 months, 37 at 6-12 months and 35 > 12 months. The ANOVA found significant difference in the ΔCobb among the groups (Sum of square 2553.59; degree of freedom 3; mean of square 851.1; Fisher test 13.8; P < 0.0001). Patients with no breakage or breakage at > 12 months had similar ΔCobb (mean 4.8° and 7.8°, respectively, P = 0.3), smaller than the 0-6 or 6-12 groups (15.8° and 13.8°, respectively).
conclusionTether breakage leads to a consistent loss of correction when occurring within the first 12 months, while it has limited clinical relevance when occurring later on.
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