Stablization of the spine in the surgical treatment of severe spinal tuberculosis in children.

This is a 5- to 10-year survey of 160 children, all with severe surgically-treated spinal tuberculosis. The treatment consisted of: anterior spinal fusion alone, anterior with posterior fusion, posterior fusion alone and posterior with anterior fusion. The results indicate that in the less severe cases, where an abscess is not evident on plain radiographs, psoterior fusion alone can be of value in the growing spine. In severe cases, especially where an abscess is seen, the combined approaches give the best results. The risk of posterior fusion alone is an unsatisfactory, long term neurological outcome in too many patients. The combined procedure of anterior fusion with posterior fusion is the treatment of choice for all immature spines with this disease.