Comparing Bone Graft Techniques for Interbody Fusion through a Posterior Approach for Treating Mid‐Thoracic Spinal Tuberculosis: A Retrospective Analysis

OBJECTIVE: Mid‐thoracic spinal tuberculosis is prone to kyphotic deformities and neurologic impairment. Posterior approach can effectively restore the spinal stability by reconstructing the anterior and middle spinal columns. Titanium mesh cages (TMC), allogeneic bone (ALB), and autogenous bone (AUB) are three main bone graft struts. We aimed to compare the therapeutic efficacy of three bone graft struts, for anterior and middle column reconstruction through a posterior approach in cases of mid‐thoracic spinal tuberculosis. METHODS: Hundred and thirty seven patients with thoracic spinal tuberculosis who had undergone a posterior approach from June 2010 to December 2018 were enrolled. Of them, 46 patients were treated using a titanium mesh cage (TMC group), 44 with allogenic bone grafts (ALB group), and 47 using autogenous bone grafts (AUB group). The following were analyzed to evaluate clinical efficacy: visual analogue scale (VAS) values, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels, kyphotic Cobb's angle, operation duration, intraoperative blood loss, improvement in American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grade and in the mental component summary (MCS) and physical component summary (PCS) of Short Form‐36 (SF‐36), duration of bone graft fusion. The data of the three groups were compared by way of variance analysis, followed by the LSD⁃t test to compare each group. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze the dates of pre‐, postoperative and final follow‐up. RESULTS: The follow‐up duration was at least 3 years. All patients achieved a complete cure for spinal TB. Neurological performance and quality of life were remarkably improved at the final follow‐up. The intraoperative blood loss, operation time and VAS values 1 day postoperatively for TMC group and ALB group were significantly lower than those in AUB group (P < 0.05). The duration of bone graft fusion in ALB group (18.1 ± 3.7 months) was longer than that in TMC group and AUB group (9.5 ± 2.8 and 9.2 ± 1.9 months) (P < 0.05). No significant intergroup differences were observed in terms of age or preoperative, 3‐months postoperative, and final follow‐up indices of ESR and CRP among the three groups (P > 0.05). At the final follow‐up, the correction loss was mild (2.1 ± 0.9, 2.2 ± 1.0, 2.1 ± 0.8) and Cobb's angles of the three groups were 20.1 ± 2.9, 20.5 ± 3.2, 20.9 ± 3.4, respectively, which were remarkably rectified in comparison with the preoperative measurements (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In terms of postoperative recovery and successful fusion rate of bone graft, it seems that posterior instrumentation, debridement, and interbody fusion with titanium mesh cages are more effective and appropriate surgical methods for mid‐thoracic spinal tuberculosis.