• Qiang Liang, Qian Wang, Guo Long, Wenxin Ma, Weidong Jin, Liehua Liu, Yuexiang Wu, Jiandang Shi, and Zili Wang.
• Department of Spinal Surgery, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China.
• World Neurosurg. 2019 Mar 1; 123: 29-39.

ObjectiveThe present retrospective comparative analysis was conducted to assess the effectiveness of affected-vertebrae fixation versus short-segment fixation to treat thoracic spinal tuberculosis.MethodsThe present study included 110 patients receiving treatment for thoracic spinal tuberculosis at our hospital from January 2006 to June 2013. All cases involved the use of posterior spinal correction, posterior lateral fusion, internal fixation, anterior decompression, radical debridement, and intervertebral supporting bone grafts. The cases were divided by the scope of posterior internal fixation into the affected-vertebrae fixation group (n = 62) and the short-segment fixation group (n = 48). Statistical analysis was used to compare the clinical effectiveness, laboratory test results, and imaging findings.ResultsThe mean surgical blood loss, mean operating time, and mean inpatient expenditures were all significantly less in the affected-vertebrae fixation group than in the short-segment fixation group (P < 0.05). The affected-vertebrae fixation group had a lower mean graft fusion time (5.21 vs. 5.06 months), mean healing time (5.73 vs. 5.91 months), mean degree of correction of thoracic vertebrae kyphosis Cobb angle (16.9° vs. 18.4°), and mean loss of angle (2.6° vs. 2.1°) compared with the short-segment fixation group. However, these differences all lacked statistical significance. Postoperatively, neurological deficits and pain were effectively relieved in all patients, and the lesion had healed at the final follow-up evaluation (≥5 years postoperatively).ConclusionsAs long as the surgical indications are strictly observed, posterior affected-vertebrae fixation in posterior-anterior surgery for thoracic spinal tuberculosis is safe, effective, and feasible; entails minimal surgical trauma; and has a lower inpatient cost.Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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