Surgical management of consecutive multisegment thoracic and lumbar tuberculosis: anterior-only approach vs. posterior-only approach.

Abstract Purpose: To compare the efficacy, safety, and technical characteristics of anterior-only and posterior-only approach surgeries for the treatment of consecutive multisegment thoracic and lumbar tuberculosis . Methods: Thirty-five patients who developed consecutive multisegment thoracic and lumbar tuberculosis from September 2012 to May 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Group A was the posterior-only surgery group, and group B was the anterior-only surgery group. The data on the surgery, deformity correction, functional scores and complications were compared between the two groups. Results: There was no significant difference in the operation time or blood loss between groups A and B (P>0.05). The preoperative average Cobb angle of kyphosis in groups A and B were 36.2±15.2° and 27.9±7.7°, respectively, which significantly decreased to 4.9±11.8° and 10.4±5.6° after the operation, respectively (P<0.05). At the final follow-up, the angles were 7.1±10.5° and 14.6±8.0°, respectively. The correction angle and correction rate in group A (31.3±16.6°, 88.6±43.6%) were greater than those in group B (17.5±4.4°, 64.9±14.0%) (P0.05), but the loss rate in group B (24.0±27.8%) was higher than that in group A (9.6±10.2%) (P0.05). Conclusion: The posterior-only and anterior-only approaches can lead to satisfactory clinical results in the treatment of patients with consecutive multisegment thoracic and lumbar tuberculosis. With posterior-only surgery, kyphosis can be better corrected, and the correction can be better maintained than with anterior-only surgery.