[Anterior interbody autografting and internal fixation for primary surgical management of thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis].
OBJECTIVE
To verify the importance of early reconstruction of spinal stability and to evaluate the safety of anterior instrumentation in surgical management of spinal tuberculosis.


METHODS
Eleven cases of thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis were treated with primary anterior debridement, interbody autografting and Z-plate fixation from October 1997 to January 1999.


RESULTS
All the 11 cases healed without any recurrence after follow-up for an average of 16 months. Spinal fusion occurred in 3.8 months on average after surgery. 18 degrees of kyphosis correction was achieved with no associated complication.


CONCLUSIONS
Early reconstruction of spinal stability plays an important role in surgical management of spinal tuberculosis, and it is safe to implant anterior titanium spinal instrument in tuberculosis foci.
Jin
D
D
Department of Orthopedic and Spinal Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Chen
J
J
Zhang
H
H
Zhai
D
D
Wang
J
J
Jiang
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000379:methods*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014399:Tuberculosis, Spinal / Q000601:surgery*