Comparison of three surgical approaches for thoracolumbar junction (T12-L1) tuberculosis: a multicentre, retrospective study
Abstract Background: The surgical approaches to thoracolumbar junction (T12-L1) tuberculosis were controversial. We aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of three surgical approaches through a multicentre retrospective study. Methods: The medical records of thoracolumbar junction tuberculosis patients (n = 177) from January 2005 to January 2015 were collected and reviewed. 45 patients underwent anterior debridement and instrumented fusion (Group A), 52 underwent anterior combined with posterior debridement and instrumented fusion in a single- or two-stage procedure (Group B) and 80 underwent posterior debridement and instrumented fusion (Group C). Patients with neurological deficit were 10 in Group A, 23 in Group B, 36 in Group C. All patients had a standard preoperative and postoperative anti - tuberculous therapy regimen. Clinical outcomes, laboratory indexes and radiological results of the three groups were compared. Operations at each centre were performed by the same senior medical team in each centre. Results: All three surgical approaches achieved bone fusion and pain relief. All patients with neurological deficits had different degrees of recovery after surgery. The operative time was 330.2±45.4min, 408.0±54.3min, 227.9±58.5min, and the blood loss was 744.0±193.8ml, 1134.6±328.2ml, 349.8±289.4ml in groups A, B and C respectively. The mean loss of correction was 5.5±3.7° in group A, 1.6±1.9° in group B, 1.7±2.2° in group C, and the difference between groups except B vs C were of statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions: For patients with thoracolumbar junction (T12-L1) tuberculosis, the posterior-only procedure is superior to the anterior-only procedure in the correction of kyphosis and maintenance of spinal stability. The posterior-only procedure is recommended because it achieves the same efficacy as the anterior-only or combined procedure but with shorter operation times, less trauma and less blood loss. Keywords: Spinal tuberculosis; Thoracolumbar junction lesion; Surgical treatment; Outcome.