title: Results of surgical decompression in chronic tuberculous paraplegia.
abstract: The results of surgical decompression in 117 patients with chronic tuberculous paraplegia, defined as paraplegia persisting for more than 3 months, were reviewed. After surgery 90 patients were able to walk. Significant findings at surgery were marked extradural fibrosis with very little caseation and pus. The study showed that paraplegia of greater than 6 months' duration was associated with a poor result. There were no cases of reactivation of the disease in the follow-up period ranging from 1 year to 4 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Natal, Durban.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Govender
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Charles
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Naidoo
authors.forename: I E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Goga
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000601:surgery*; D014399:Tuberculosis, Spinal / Q000150:complications*