Objective: The purpose of this study was to validate the efficacy and safety of single-stage posterior instrumentation and anterior debridement for treatment of active spinal tuberculosis with kyphotic deformity.
Method: From January 2005 to January 2009, 13 males and 24 females were enrolled in this retrospective study. All patients underwent single-stage posterior instrumentation and fusion, combined with anterior radical debridement and bone grafting. Clinical and radiographic results were analysed.
Results: Patients were followed-up for 33.6 months on average. Bony fusion was achieved at six- to nine-month follow-up in all patients. The respective average kyphosis at the pre-operative and the last follow-up was 53.5° and 12.6°, with a mean correction of 40.9° (78.5%). Neurologic recovery averaged 1.5 grades on the Frankel scale. No recurrence of tuberculosis or instrumentation failure occurred.
Conclusion: Single-stage posterior instrumentation and anterior debridement with fusion was demonstrated to be a safe and effective method to achieve spinal decompression and kyphosis correction in patients with Pott's disease.