Fig. 3

Standing PA and lateral radiographs of a 13-year-old female Lenke 5C patient with a structural thoracolumbar curve of 50° in TL/L fusion group. a Preoperative Cobb angle of thoracic curve was 24°, reduced to 13° at bending film. Preoperative LEV tilt was 31°. b The postoperative thoracic curve was corrected to 9° and thoracolumbar curve was corrected to 11° at first follow-up. c At 4-year follow-up, the main thoracolumbar curve was 13° and the thoracic curve was 13°. d The preoperative radiograph showed large TIA (81°) and GTK (48°). The PJA was 7° and TK was 27°. e At first follow-up: lateral radiograph illustrating stable TIA(78°) and GTK (49°) in the sagittal plane, with PJA increased to 13° and TK increased to 35°. f At 4-year follow-up, GTK increased to 55°, TK increased to 43° and PJA increased to 21°; 14 degrees of increasing PJK angle was measured. TIA remained stable