Uso da prótese vertical expansível de titânio para costela no tratamento da cifose congênita em portadores de mielomeningocele torácica Use of vertical expandable prosthetic of titanium for the rib for treating congenital kyphosis in thoracic meningomyelocele patients Uso de la prótesis vertical expansible de titanio para costilla en el tratamiento de la cifosis congénita en portadores de mielomeningocele torácico

Objective: to evaluate clinical and radiographic postoperative results of congenital kyphosis correction in thoracic meningomyelocele patients using vertical expandable prosthetic of titanium for the rib (VEPTR). Methods: a retrospective study of 19 thoracic meningomyelocele and congenital kyphosis patients that were subjected to the VEPTR treatment between October 2005 and October 2008, with radiographic evaluation and immediate post and pre-operative clinical practice. Also, the duration of surgical procedure, the need for