[Therapeutic evaluation of intertransverse bone graft for single segmental thoracic spinal tuberculosis]

?To explore the effectiveness of intertransverse bone graft after debridement and fusion combined with posterior instrumentation in patients with single segmental thoracic tuberculosis.

?Between March 2014 and May 2015, 17 cases of thoracic tuberculosis were treated by the surgery of intertransverse bone graft after debridement and fusion combined with posterior instrumentation. There were 10 males and 7 females with an average age of 48.5 years (range, 18-70 years), and with a mean disease duration of 4 months (range, 1-9 months). The affected segments included T_{4, 5} in 2 cases, T_{6, 7} in 5 cases, T_{7, 8} in 3 cases, T_{9, 10} in 2 cases, T_{10, 11} in 4 cases, and T_{11, 12} in 1 case. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and hospitalization time were recorded. Postoperative plain radiography was taken to assess the decompression and internal fixation, and the fusion effect was evaluated by X-ray or CT examination. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C reactive protein (CRP), visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), and Kyphosis angle were recorded and compared; the nerve function was evaluated by American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA).

?The mean operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and hospitalization time were 184 minutes (range, 165-220 minutes), 231 mL (range, 150-800 mL), and 18 days (range, 12-26 days) respectively. No complication of hematoma or wound dehiscence was found. All patients were followed up 17.9 months on average (range, 9-22 months). No bone graft failure, internal fixation broken, pleural effusion, cerebrospinal fluid leakage, wound infection, fistula formation, and other complications occurred. Satisfactory intervertebral fusion was obtained in all patients at 3-8 months (mean, 5.3 months) after surgery. The ESR, CRP, VAS score, ODI score, and Kyphosis angle were significantly improved at immediate after operation and last follow-up when compared with preoperative ones (P<0.05), and the ESR, CRP, VAS score and ODI score at last follow-up were significantly better than those at immediate after operation (P<0.05). At last follow-up, the nerve function was recovered to ASIA grade E from grade C (1 case) and grade D (6 cases).

?Intertransverse bone graft is a reliable, safe, and effective way of bone graft applied to the single segmental thoracic spinal tuberculosis.