title: Anterior radical debridement and reconstruction using titanium mesh cage for the surgical treatment of thoracic and thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis: minimium five-year follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the long-term outcomes for the surgical treatment of thoracic     and thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis with anterior radical debridement and     reconstruction with titanium mesh cages (TMCs).
  
  
  METHODS
  69     patients with thoracic and thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis were     retrospectively analyzed. Outcomes data included VAS back pain, subjective     clinical results, and radiographic data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients had resolution of     their infections, obtained solid bony fusions without failure of fixation,     experienced improvement of neurological function, and improved in their VAS back     pain scores at final long-term follow-up. In the thoracic spine group, 92.3% of     patients had good or excellent subjective clinical results. The loss of kyphotic     angle correction and intervertebral height was 9.6% and 3.8%, respectively. In     the thoracolumbar spine group, 93.3% of patients had good or excellent     subjective clinical results. The loss of kyphotic angle correction and     intervertebral height was 12.8% and 4.2%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anterior     radical debridement and reconstruction using TMCs for the treatment of thoracic     and thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis is an acceptable treatment option. Solid     bony fusion, good clinical outcomes as well as improvement of neurological     function can be achieved although TMCs subsidence can occur.
authors.affiliation: Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Spine Surgery, Changsha/Hunan Province, China. bingwang20021972@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guohua
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Weıdong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003646:Debridement / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016268:Internal Fixators / Q000592:standards*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D011859:Radiography; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000379:methods; D013995:Time; D014025:Titanium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014399:Tuberculosis, Spinal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D054854:Vertebroplasty / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014025:Titanium