Efficacy of anterior debridement and bone grafting with fusion using internal fixation combined with anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy in the treatment of subaxial cervical tuberculosis

To evaluate the efficacy of anterior debridement and bone grafting with fusion using internal fixation (BFIF) combined with anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy in the treatment of subaxial cervical spine tuberculosis (SCS-TB). Clinical and radiographic data of patients with SCS-TB treated by anterior debridement and BFIF at our hospital from January 2010 to December 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. The SCS sagittal parameters at the preoperative, postoperative, and final follow-up were documented and compared, including the Occiput-C2 angle, C2-C7 Cobb angle, local Cobb angle, spinal canal angle (SCA), C2-C7 sagittal vertical axis (C2-C7 SVA), the center of gravity of the head-C7 sagittal vertical axis (CGH-C7 SVA), T1 slope (T1S), neck tilt (NT), and thoracic inlet angle (TIA). The ASIA grade, NDI index, JOA score, and VAS score were utilized to assess the postoperative function recovery, and the complications were recorded. A total of 23 patients were included in the study with a mean age of 46.74 ± 15.43 years, including 8 males and 15 females. All patients with SCS-TB were treated with anterior debridement and BFIF, with a mean postoperative follow-up time of 37.17 ± 12.26 months. The poisoning symptoms of TB were relieved in all patients, and ESR (42.09 ± 9.53 vs 8.04 ± 5.41, P