The surgical treatment and related management for post-tubercular kyphotic deformity of the cervical spine or the cervico-thoracic spine.
OBJECTIVE
The outcomes of surgical treatment and related complications of post-tubercular kyphotic (PTK) deformity of the cervical spine or the cervico-thoracic spine were evaluated.


METHODS
From January 2005 to October 2010, 12 cases with PTK (7 males, 5 females) with an average age of 30 years (range 21-43 years) formed the study group. There were ten patients with cervical deformities and two with cervico-thoracic kyphosis. Neurological function of all the patients was evaluated by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score and visual analogue scale (VAS) score. Two patients with severe cervico-thoracic deformity received modified skeleton traction pre-operatively. Ten patients underwent anterior debridement and reconstruction, using iliac crest or cages with autografts, while two patients with cervico-thoracic kyphosis received posterior instrumentation and fusion.


RESULTS
The mean pre-operative focal kyphotic angle was 42.58° (range 30-67°), reducing to -8° (range -15-11°) postoperatively (at the last follow-up visit). The average operating time was 117.50 min (80-200 min) with an average blood loss of 110 ml (range 50-300 ml). Neurological assessment of all the patients, using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score and visual analogue scale (VAS) score, was improved significantly after surgery. All patients had solid fusion and no major complication was observed in the follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
One-stage anterior debridement, instrumentation and fusion for cervical spinal TB and single posterior instrumentation for cervico-thoracic spinal TB followed by chemotherapy is practical to correct PTK. The procedure has the advantage of lower blood loss, effective kyphosis correction and minimal complications. To patients with severe deformity, skeletal traction seemed indispensible.
Orthopedics Research Institute of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Orthopedics Department of Changzheng Hospital, Changzheng, China.
Yang
Y
Liu
Yuanyuan
Y
Chen
Lili
L
Yang
Xuhui
X
Zhou
Ce
C
Wang
Min
M
Qi
Wen
W
Yuan
D000328:Adult; D003646:Debridement / Q000379:methods; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007738:Kyphosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014399:Tuberculosis, Spinal / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult