Posterolateral decompression combined with interbody fusion and internal fixation for thoracic spinal stenosis

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of the posterolateral decompression combined with interbody fusion and internal fixation for thoracic spinal stenosis in patients. Methods: Between January 2014 and May 2016, a total of 50 patients with thoracic spinal stenosis admitted to the author's institution were selected as participants. All the enrolled participants received the posterolateral decompression combined with interbody fusion and internal fixation. The patients' postoperative complications were documented. The spinal cord functions and surgical outcomes were evaluated according to the spinal cord injury Frankel classification and the Otani grading criteria. Results: The posterolateral decompression combined with interbody fusion and internal fixation was completed successfully among all the eligible patients in this study. The mean operative time was 3.3 +/- 0.7 h, and the mean intraoperative blood loss was 970 +/- 110 ml. Cerebrospinal fluid leak was present in 2 patients, and transient spinal cord dysfunction was also present in 2. Among all the eligible patients, the results of preoperative Frankel classification were markedly different from those at 1 year postoperatively (P<0.05). The evaluation of the Otani grading at 1 year postoperatively revealed that the rate of good and excellent results was 86%. Conclusion: After the posterior decompression combined with interbody fusion and internal fixation, the patients with thoracic spinal stenosis had decreased complications, but favorable clinical outcomes. Thus, it is worthy of clinically wide use.