Mediclinic Parkview Hospital performs ApiFix system for surgical correction of scoliosis for the first time in UAE

Mediclinic Parkview Hospital performs ApiFix system for surgical correction of scoliosis for the first time in UAE

Dr Marc Sinclair - Consultant Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon at Mediclinic Parkview Hospital

Scoliosis is a deformity of the spine affecting two to three per cent of the population.

Published: Thu 13 Apr 2023, 9:16 AM

Often, children in their early teenage years are affected by this progressing deformity which usually requires treatment depending on the severity of the condition. The milder form of scoliosis treatment includes physiotherapy and bracing while a more significant curve needs surgical correction.

The surgical correction until recently has consisted of the implantation of rods that allows for straightening of the spine, with the drawback that the spine becomes stiff and immobile, preventing further growth, significant participation in sports and bears the risk of further degeneration of the other parts of the spine at a later stage.

Dr Marc Sinclair, Consultant Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon at Mediclinic Parkview Hospital, said: "Lately, there has been a paradigm shift in the management of scoliosis, in that surgical procedures have become available, allowing for correction of the deformity without requiring the stiffening of the spine. The ApiFix system is one of these techniques allowing for a correction of the deformity and at the same time maintaining the flexibility of the spine."

Dr Sinclair added: "The newest