Clinical, radiological and functional outcome of posterior-only three-column osteotomy in healed, post-tubercular kyphotic deformity: a minimum of 2-year follow-up.

Purpose: To describe clinical, radiological and functional outcomes of patients with post-tubercular healed kyphosis operated by posterior-only three-column osteotomy.

Methods: The hospital records of 47 patients from a single center, operated for healed, post-tubercular kyphosis were retrospectively analyzed. Deformity correction in all patients was done utilizing a three-column osteotomy by a single-stage, posterior-only approach. Radiological parameters (local kyphosis angle; KA, thoracic kyphosis; TK, lumbar lordosis; LL, pelvic tilt; PT, sacral slope; SS, C7 sagittal vertical axis; C7 SVA, pelvic incidence minus lumbar lordosis; PI-LL), functional scores and clinical details of complications were recorded.

Results: The median age of the study population was 16 years (6-45). The apex of deformity was in thoracic, thoracolumbar and lumbar spine in 22, 19 and 6 cases, respectively. The mean operative time was 197.2 ± 30.5 min and the mean operative blood loss was 701 ± 312 ml. KA (preoperative: 68.2° ± 26.9° v/s postoperative: 29.6° ± 20.3°; p value < 0.0001), C7 SVA (preoperative 20.9 ± 37.9 mm v/s postoperative: 5.5 ± 16.3 mm; p value = 0.005) and TK (preoperative 47.7° ± 33.2° v/s postoperative: 37.8° ± 19.8°; p value = 0.0024) underwent a significant change with surgery. Mean SRS-22r score improved after surgical correction (preoperative: 2.7 ± 0.2 v/s final follow-up: 4 ± 0.2; p < 0.0001) with the maximum improvement occurring in self-image domain. The overall complication rate was 29.7%-including 4 neurological and 10 non-neurological complications. Permanent neurological deterioration was seen in one patient.

Conclusion: Three-column osteotomies through posterior-only approach are safe and effective and offer good clinic-radiological and function outcome in post-tubercular kyphotic deformity correction.