Single-Posterior Revision Surgery for Recurrent Thoracic/Thoracolumbar Spinal Tuberculosis With Kyphosis

The treatment of thoracic/thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis (STB) remains challenging. The spinal deformity, long disease history, heterogeneous lesion, and poor drug response make the treatment of recurrent and kyphosis cases even more difficult. This study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of single-posterior revision surgery in patients with recurrent thoracic/thoracolumbar STB and kyphosis.

Patients with recurrent thoracic/thoracolumbar STB with kyphosis and treated with single-posterior debridement, osteotomy, correction, bone graft, and fusion in our center from 2009 to 2019 were enrolled. The clinical data, radiographs, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) at different stages were collected. ESR, kyphotic angle, Visual Analog Scale, and neurological functions were analyzed.

A total of 27 patients (16 male, 11 female) with an average age of 48.4 ± 13.0 years were included. The average surgery time was 320.6 ± 46.4 minutes, and the average estimated blood loss was 1470.6 ± 367.4 mL. From admittance to the latest follow-up, the average Visual Analog Scale significantly reduced from 5.6 ± 1.3 to 0.5 ± 0.7, the average ESR was improved from 69.4 ± 15.8 mm/h to normal, and the average kyphotic angle was corrected from 66.6° ± 11.7° to 34.5° ± 6.6°. For patients with preoperative neurological deficits, their neurological functions were improved to normal. In drug susceptibility tests, 70.5% (11/17) of specimens had bacteria resistant to at least 1 first-line drug.

Single-posterior debridement, osteotomy, correction, bone graft, and fusion are effective and safe in the treatment of recurrent thoracic/thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis with kyphosis. The drug treatment of recurrent spinal tuberculosis should be carefully tailored.