THE JOURNAL OF BONE AND JOINT SURGERY

Medical College, New York Severe flexion deformity of the spine from ankylosing spondylitis may produce considerable functional disability. In treating the deformity cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spinal osteotomies, creating compcnislttory curves, have beeni successful but not without erious complication in some cases As yet, no safe technique of spinal osteotomy is available without potential hazard to the underlying spinal cord. We are re )orting an ILlternate method for correction of a fixed flexion deformity of the spine w-hich is r’elativcly safe amid simple. The procedure consists iii It one-stage bilateral iliac ostcotomy modified from the method of Salter. As fILl’ as ss’c kriois this Operlttioll hIts never becti used previously for the purpose under