title: [Anterior instrumentation for the treatment of tuberculotic spinal deformity].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To summarize the clinical results in the treatment of spinal tuberculosis with debridement, bone grafting and anterior fixation and to evaluate the safety and the value of this procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  From June 1997 to May 2001, 18 patients with spinal tuberculosis were treated using anterior debridement, autograft of bone and primary internal instrumentation. They were 8 men and 10 women, aged from 25 to 59 years (mean 41 years). The degree of kyphosis before surgery was 27.0 degrees to 75.5 degrees (mean 47.5 degrees +/- 11.4 degrees ). The involved spines included cervical spine (1 patient), thoracic spine (10), thoracic-lumbar spine (2), and lumbar spine (5). Average 2.8 intervertebral bodies in each patient were afflicted with tuberculosis disease. Spinal fusions were done with iliac bone grafts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients were followed up for an average of 25 months. No deep wound infection and sinus were observed after surgery. The grafted bones were fused in all patients with an average time of 3.6 months. The degree of spine kyphosis correction was 32.7 degrees +/- 8.3 degrees, and 3.2 degrees +/- 2.8 degrees was lost on average in the late stage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anterior instrumentation for spinal tuberculosis could stabilize the spine, correct kyphosis and fuse the grafted bone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Sir RunRun Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China.
authors.forename: Pei-hua
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shun-wu
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Shuang-lin
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xiang-qian
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Feng-dong
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016025:Bone Transplantation; D003646:Debridement; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016268:Internal Fixators; D007738:Kyphosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014399:Tuberculosis, Spinal / Q000601:surgery*