BACKGROUND: During spinal orthopedic repair, the main difficulty is to maximize the correction of the deformity, simultaneously, to reduce the incidence of trauma and complications, especial y to avoid the corresponding spinal nerve injury. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the curative effect of one-stage posterior pedicle subtraction osteotomy of apical vertebra with transpedicular instrumentation in the treatment of rigid angular kyphosis of thoracolumbar spine. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 42 cases of rigid angular kyphosis of thoracolumbar spine that were treated by one-stage posterior pedicle subtraction osteotomy of apical vertebra with transpedicular instrumentation. Al patients received detailed imaging examination before and after operation. Kyphosis angle, Frankel grading and perioperative complications were recorded in al patients. X-ray films or CT films showed the bone graft fusion during fol ow-up. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Patients were fol owed up for 10-36 months after treatment. The average time of bone graft fusion was 5.1 months. Cobb’s angle of kyphosis was corrected from 78.4° (38°-110°) preoperatively to 7°(-8°-24°) at 10 days after treatment. The correction rate was 90%. The average angle during final fol ow-up was 7.9°, with an average loss of 0.9°. In 16 paresis patients, Frankel grading results showed grade B in 0 case, grade C in 3 cases, grade D in 5 cases, and grade E in 8 cases during final fol ow-up, showing significant improvement as compared with that pre-treatment (P < 0.05). Among 42 patients, 5 cases had complications. At 7 months after treatment, there were screw and titanium rod loosening at the distal end of the fusion segment in 1 case, cerebrospinal fluid leakage in 2 cases, transient double lower limb weakness in 1 case, pain in one side of lower limb in 1 case, and no severe complications appeared. These results verified that one-stage posterior pedicle subtraction osteotomy of apical vertebra with transpedicular instrumentation could achieve satisfactory clinical outcomes in rigid angular kyphosis of thoracolumbar spine. The internal fixation was stable and with a high fusion rate and few complications. The medium-term effect was satisfactory.