PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Balmaceno-Criss, Mariah
AU  - Alsoof, Daniel
AU  - Lafage, Renaud
AU  - Diebo, Bassel G.
AU  - Daniels, Alan H.
AU  - Schwab, Frank
AU  - Lafage, Virginie
TI  - Proximal Junctional Kyphosis Prevention Strategies Focused on Alignment
AID  - 10.14444/8513
DP  - 2023 Jun 22
TA  - International Journal of Spine Surgery
PG  - 8513
4099  - https://www.ijssurgery.com/content/early/2023/06/22/8513.short
4100  - https://www.ijssurgery.com/content/early/2023/06/22/8513.full
AB  - Adult spinal deformity (ASD) is a complex pathology associated with spinal malalignment in the coronal, sagittal, and axial planes. Proximal junction kyphosis (PJK) is a complication of ASD surgery, affecting 10%–48% of patients, and can result in pain and neurological deficit. It is defined radiographically as a greater than 10° Cobb angle between the upper instrumented vertebrae and the 2 vertebrae proximal to the superior endplate. Risk factors are classified according to the patient, surgery, and overall alignment, but it is important to consider the interplay between various factors. This article reviews the risk factors of PJK and considers alignment-focused prevention strategies.