Table 1.

The mean age of the patients, gender distribution, follow-up time, and operated spinal segments in the two treatment groups

	Direct repair (n=25)	Segmental fusion (n=23)	P value
Mean (SD) age, at the time of surgery	18.2 (6.0)	16.1 (2.7)	NS
Mean (SD) age, at the final follow-up	33.1 (5.8)	31.1 (2.8)	NS
Male/female	9/16	10/13	NS
Follow-up time
Mean (SD)	14.8 (0.9)	15.0 (2.3)	NS
Range	(11–16)	(13–19)
Segmental fusion
L5–S1		19 (83%)
L4–S1		4 (17%)
Direct repair
L3	2 (8%)
L4	1 (4%)
L5	22 (88%)

NS Not significant