Effect of thoracoplasty on patient-reported outcomes in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is commonly associated with rib hump (RH) deformity, which poses a significant cosmetic concern for patients. Traditionally, thoracoplasty (TH) has been the preferred treatment to address this issue. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the impact of combining TH with posterior spinal fusion (PSF) compared to PSF alone in AIS surgery. It focuses on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), particularly self-image scores, to assess the true cosmetic benefit of incorporating TH into PSF procedures.