ABSTRACT
The management of early-onset scoliosis (EOS) has seen tremendous advancement in the past decade. EOS is frequently associated with obstructive pulmonary disease and dyspnoea, among others, and these are considered more troublesome than the deformity itself. Thoracic cage abnormalities pose the greatest risk for developing restrictive pulmonary disease. The preoperative evaluation for patients with EOS comprises of a series of assessments. The pulmonary system may be the main indication for intervention; therefore, its preoperative status is likely to be impaired in many patients, requiring a chest physician and an anaesthesiologist consultation preoperatively. Preoperative evaluation of the curve type, length, flexibility, and instrument construct is pivotal. Anteroposterior (AP) and lateral x-ray scanogram of the whole spine are needed to describe the curve pattern and sagittal and coronal balance. Osteopenia is another important factor that has a bearing on intraoperative events and should be assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan.
