A comprehensive narrative review of Duchenne muscular dystrophy covering pathogenesis, diagnosis, and stage-based orthopedic and medical management — from early corticosteroid therapy through lower extremity contracture release and spinal fusion for progressive neuromuscular scoliosis.
When a DMD patient's spine curve hits 20–30° Cobb, act: waiting until cardiopulmonary reserve is gone (FVC <35%) turns a manageable operation into a high-risk one.
The same logic applies to corticosteroids — deflazacort started early meaningfully delays the scoliosis that will otherwise land nearly every one of these boys in the OR.
A comprehensive narrative review of Duchenne muscular dystrophy covering pathogenesis, diagnosis, and stage-based orthopedic and medical management — from early corticosteroid therapy through lower extremity contracture release and spinal fusion for progressive neuromuscular scoliosis.
When a DMD patient's spine curve hits 20–30° Cobb, act: waiting until cardiopulmonary reserve is gone (FVC <35%) turns a manageable operation into a high-risk one.
The same logic applies to corticosteroids — deflazacort started early meaningfully delays the scoliosis that will otherwise land nearly every one of these boys in the OR.