• Hong-qi Zhang, Min-zhong Lin, Kai-ying Shen, Lei Ge, Jing-song Li, Ming-xing Tang, Jian-huang Wu, and Jin-yang Liu.
• Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Xiangya Road 87, 410008 Changsha, China. zhq9996@163.com
• Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2012 Jun 1;132(6):751-7.

PurposeMultilevel noncontiguous thoracic spinal tuberculosis has rarely been reported in the literature. We present a retrospective clinical study of 14 patients with multilevel noncontiguous thoracic spinal tuberculosis treated by single-stage posterior transforaminal thoracic debridement, limited decompression, interbody fusion, and posterior instrumentation (modified TTIF) and determine the clinical effectiveness of such surgical treatment for MNTST.MethodsFourteen patients with multilevel noncontiguous thoracic spinal tuberculosis were treated with modified TTIF. The mean follow-up was 27.36 ± 10.46 months (range 13-42 months). The kyphotic angle ranged from -2° to 47° before operation, with an average of 19.21° ± 12.63°. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) of patients upon admission ranged from 30 to 62 mm/h before operation, with an average of 46.43 ± 10.77 mm/h. The Frankel Grade was used to evaluate the neurological deficits.ResultsThe average ESR got normal (8.14 ± 5.89 mm/h) within 3 months in all patients. The average kyphotic angle decreased to 8.07° ± 6.91° postoperatively. Mean deformity angle was measured as 8.79° ± 7.29° at the last visit. Solid fusion was achieved in all cases. Neurologic status of the 12 patients with preoperative neurologic deficit was 6 with grade D recovered to normal; 2 with grade B, both of them to grade D; 4 with grade C, 2 to grade D, 1 to grade E, and 1 still in grade C.ConclusionsModified TTIF can be an effective treatment method of multilevel noncontiguous thoracic spinal tuberculosis.

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