Comparison of pedicle subtraction osteotomy and vertebral column decancellation for the correction of thoracolumbar kyphotic deformity in ankylosing spondylitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: The goal in this study was to compare the efficacy and safety outcomes of vertebral column decancellation (VCD) and pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) for patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) with thoracolumbar kyphotic deformity. METHODS: This study was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). The authors conducted a computer search of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wan Fang Database, and Wei Pu Database to collect controlled clinical studies on the efficacy and safety of VCD and PSO for patients with AS with thoracolumbar kyphotic deformity. The search covered the period from database establishment to March 2023. Two researchers screened the literature, extracted data, and evaluated the risk of bias of the included studies; these researchers recorded the authors and the sample size, and they extracted data on the intraoperative blood loss, Oswestry Disability Index, spine sagittal parameters, operation time, and complications in each study. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software provided by Cochrane Library. RESULTS: A total of 6 cohort studies with a total of 342 patients were included in this study, including 172 patients in the VCD group and 170 patients in the PSO group. The VCD group had lower intraoperative blood loss than the PSO group (mean difference [MD] −274.92, 95% CI −506.63 to −43.20, p = 0.02); significant correction of the sagittal vertical axis compared with the PSO group (MD 7.32, 95% CI −1.24 to 15.87, p = 0.03), and the operation time was shorter than that of the PSO group (MD −80.28, 95% CI −150.07 to −10.48, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis showed that VCD had more advantages than PSO in correcting the sagittal imbalance in the treatment of AS with thoracolumbar kyphotic deformity, and VCD had less intraoperative blood loss, shorter operation time, and satisfactory results in improving the quality of life.