Uninstrumented ventral surgery for subaxial cervical spine tuberculosis: clinical and radiological outcome

The clinical and radiological outcomes in 14 patients with subaxial cervical spine tuberculosis following uninstrumented anterior decompression surgery and medical treatment were retrospectively reviewed. All the patients underwent an anterior decompression with bone graft followed by immediate mobilization or a period of bed rest for 4 to 6 weeks. The clinical status and whole spine curvature of the cervical spine were assessed preoperatively and at follow up. There was an improvement in the Nurick's grade from a preoperative mean of 2.4 (range 0 - 5) to 1.2 (range 0 - 4) at follow up (p = 0.004). The whole spine curvature showed an improvement in 5 patients, was maintained in 6 patients and showed a kyphotic change in 1 of the 12 patients at follow up. There was evidence of good bony fusion in 12 of the 14 patients for whom data were available at follow up. Anterior decompression with autologous iliac bone graft led to a good clinical and radiological outcome in patients with subaxial cervical spine tuberculosis.