title: Combined anterior and posterior surgeries in the treatment of spinal tuberculous spondylitis.
abstract: Methods for the treatment of tuberculous spondylitis still are controversial. The authors treated 32 consecutive patients with a two-stage surgical technique combined with antituberculous chemotherapy for 1 year. After anterior debridement, fusion with autogenous anterior iliac tricortical strut bone graft was done, and in a second stage, posterior instrumentation and fusion with autogenous posterior iliac corticocancellous bone graft was done 11 days (range, 4-22 days) later. Postoperatively, patients were encouraged to ambulate with brace protection as early as possible. Twenty-nine patients were followed up for a minimum of 2 years (median, 4.7 years; range, 2-10 years) of whom 28 patients achieved solid fusion (97%). All patients had improvement of back pain including the only patient with pseudarthrosis. Neurologic deficits completely recovered in 84% (16 of 19) of patients after 3 months. Kyphotic deformity improved in all 29 patients (34.6 degrees versus 17.3 degrees ) with the average correction angle of 17.3 degrees. Clinically, 27 patients had achieved a satisfactory outcome (93%). There were no evident surgical complications. The authors, therefore, recommend a two-stage surgical technique combined with antituberculous chemotherapy to treat patients with severe vertebral body destruction attributable to tuberculosis because of its high success rate and a low complication rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Jer
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chi-Chuan
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chi-Hsiung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Lih-Huei
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chi-Chien
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Po-Liang
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Lai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016025:Bone Transplantation; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013166:Spondylitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014399:Tuberculosis, Spinal / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents