Unexpected Complications after Corrective Spinal Fusion Surgery for Adult Spinal Deformity with Severe Hip Contracture

INTRODUCTION: In cases with markedly decreased hip function, patients predominantly utilize spine movement while standing up to compensate for the hip malfunction. However, spinal fusion surgeries might lead to the disruption of this compensatory mechanism, resulting in difficulties in walking and standing up as well as proximal junctional failure (PJF) due to the excessive stress on the spine caused by the pendulum-like motion needed for standing up. Hence, in patients with severe hip pathology, surgeons should be cautious about the indication for spinal fusion, which inevitably affects spinal mobility. This is the first report presenting a case that supports the aforementioned theory. CASE REPORT: In this study, we report the case of a 76-year-old Japanese woman who underwent corrective spinal fusion surgery for spinal scoliosis secondary to hip contracture. The patient exhibited post-operative complications, such as unexpected difficulty in walking and standing up and PJF. The patient underwent a revision spinal surgery with an extension of spinal fusion for PJF and muscle release around the hip for hip contracture which resulted in improved walking and standing movements with no reports of pain. CONCLUSION: Spinal fusion surgeries performed on patients with severe hip pathology could cause early PJFs and unexpected decline in activities of daily living. Patients with such risks often do not complain of hip symptoms before spinal correction surgery. Surgeons should routinely evaluate hip joints and be cautious about the indication for spinal fusion which inevitably affects spinal mobility.