TUBERCULOUS KYPHOSIS — EVOLVING CONCEPTS IN PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

Abstract

In spinal tuberculosis, children bone is easily destroyed, and as a result spinal deformity complicates in higher rates in comparison with the adult tuberculous spine. However, the pediatric spine with tuberculosis is more flexible than those of the adult-spine, because spontaneous intercorporal fusion of the diseased segments in children never occur. Thus, prevention and/or correction of the tuberculous kyphosis is easier than those of the adults. Also in particular by posterior tethering instrumentation surgery the formed kyphosis can be corrected gradually during growth period. The key message is that in pediatric spinal tuberculosis, spontaneous intercorporal fusion of the diseased segment hardly takes place even under the posterior instrument-aided stabilization and the coverage of antituberculous chemotherapy. Therefore, tuberculous spine in children even after cure should be observed until growth maturity.