Objective To explore the feasibility of limited correction for sagittal spinal alignment in the elderly with degeneratve scoliosis (DS). Methods Clinical data of 37 elderly DS patients who underwent spinal surgery in the Chinese PLA General Hospital from July 2012 to July 2013 were collected in this retrospective study. According to the recovery of postoperative lumbar lordosis (LL), the patients were divided into the limited-correction group ［pelvic incidence (PI) -18°≤ postoperative LL＜PI-9°, n＝20］, and the control group (PI-9°≤postoperative LL＜PI＋9°, n＝17). The radiographic parameters and functional and pain scores were compared between the 2 groups. Results The limited correction group had smaller blooding volume (P＝0.07) and shorter operation time (P＝0.07) when compared with the control group, though the difference has no statistical significance. There were significant differences in the LL, pelvic tilt (PT), and sacral slope (SS) between the 2 groups postoperatively (P＜0.05), but not in lumbar coronal Cobb angle, Oswestry low back pain score and Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score (P>0.05). Conclusion Limited correction for sagittal spinal alignment is an effective approach for the elderly DS patients, and achieves good clinical outcomes in lumbar coronal Cobb angle, coronal correction, Oswestry score and JOA score.