Nine patients with thoracic and lumbar tuberculosis were treated by anterior debridement and fusion. Subjects included 4 males and 5 females, 58 to 75 years old (average age 67.2 years old). We added posterior fusion with instrumentation to 6 patients by pedicle screw or hook system. None showed persistent or recurrent spine tuberculosis despite posterior instrumentation. The 6 patients with posterior instrumentation were able to get out of bed about 37 days earIier than the 3 without posterior instrumentation. Loss of sagittal alignment was not greater than 10 degrees in 8 patients but reached 27 degrees in one patient who developed postoperative vertebral compression fracture above the posteriorly-stabilized vertebra. All patients achieved stable bone union with satisfactory results.
