THE RESULTS OF OPERATIVE FIXATION OF TUBERCULOUS SPINES

¹ The Department of Surgery, University of Michigan

1. Sixty-nine per cent. of eighty-four patients who have had fusion operations for tuberculosis have no complaints, have a solid posterior fusion, and show no increase of deformity.

2. Eighteen of these patients were, at the time of operation, from one to ten years of age. Seventy-two per cent. of this small group have an excellent result, indicating that for children the operation is safe and effectual.

3. Eighteen per cent. of these eighty-four patients are dead.

4. The stability of a kyphos is mainly dependent upon adequate anterior vertebral-body contact. Correction obtained by abduction of its jaws causes instability by producing a dead space in the diseased area. Posterior spine fusion does not restore sufficient stability to maintain correction obtained in this manner.

5. Eight of nine patients with preoperative neurological complications from cord pressure were subjectively cured. There is probably little relation between their operations and the disappearance of symptoms.

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