Clinical efficacy of one stage posterior debridement joint graft fixation for lumbar vertebral fractures in spinal tuberculosis patients with compression

OBJECTIVE: Spinal tuberculosis, though destructive, can be cured in many patients by chemotherapy, though surgery is often necessary for decompression and deformity correction. Our aim of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy of posterior debridement joint graft fixation therapy for lumbar vertebral fractures in patients with spinal tuberculosis with a compression fracture. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We prospectively included 48 patients diagnosed with spinal tuberculosis and lumbar compression fracture in our hospital from June 2010 to June 2013. The patients were randomly divided into observation group (n = 27) and control group (n = 21). The patients in the control group underwent an anterior debridement joint bone fixation therapy, whereas, the patients in the observation group underwent one stage posterior debridement joint bone fixation therapy. The patients in the both groups were followed-up for about 2 years and the postoperative complications were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Incision length, operative time and blood loss in patients of the observation group were significantly lower than the control group (p < 0.05). The kyphosis Cobb's angle was found to be reduced in a time-dependent manner in both groups, however, patients in the observation group achieved a significant reduction than the control (p < 0.05). The ASIA grade of few patients in the observation group significantly (p < 0.05) improved to class E from D at the time of the end of follow-up. The patients under the class 'excellent' and 'good' of Kirkaldy-Willis criteria were significantly (p < 05) higher in the observation group (92.6%) than the control group (85.7%). Also, the patients in the Bridwell grade I and II in the observation group (88.9%) were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in comparison with control group (81%). The prevalence of postoperative complications was significantly lower in the observation group (18.5%) when compared with the control group (28.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that one-stage posterior debridement joint bone fixation therapy is an effective and safe procedure for patients with spinal tuberculosis and lumbar compression; this method is worthy of clinical application.