Selection of fusion and fixation ranges for intervertebral surgery to correct thoracolumbar and lumbar tuberculosis: a backward-looking clinical study
Affected intervertebral surgery is a safe and viable option for the treatment of thoracolumbar and lumbar tuberculosis. It effectively restores the physiological curvature of the spine and reduces the degeneration of adjacent vertebrae in the spinal column.
Yang, Z., Liu, C., Niu, N., et al. Selection of fusion and fixation ranges in intervertebral surgery to correct thoracolumbar and lumbar tuberculosis: a retrospective clinical study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 22, 466 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-021-04335-0
Commentary
The purpose of this study was to compare intervertebral surgery for the treatment of thoracolumbar and lumbar tuberculosis with intervertebral surgery in the absence of these conditions and to explore the best choice of fusion for the extent of fixation. A total of 221 patients with these diseases were classified into two groups: 118 patients underwent affected intervertebral surgery (diseased vertebral stem fixation, Group A) and 103 patients underwent non-affected vertebral surgery (one or two vertebral fusions above or below the affected vertebrae, Group B).
The results reported that the mean follow-up period for both groups was 65 months, with no significant differences in clinical examination, VAS score, Cobb angle correction rate and angle loss. However, there were significant differences in operative time, blood loss, serous drainage volume, and transfusion requirements between the two groups.
The intervertebral surgery group affected by these factors performed significantly and better in all these areas than the unaffected intervertebral surgery group. In both cases, the bone grafts had completely fused with normal bone by the last follow-up, which occurred between 50 and 86 months after surgery.
