Single Posterior Surgery Versus Combined Posterior–Anterior Surgery for Lumbar Tuberculosis Patients

ObjectivePosterior approach of debridement, interbody graft, and instrumentation, and combined posterior–anterior approach of posterior instrumentation and anterior debridement and interbody graft are two essential surgeries for the surgical treatment of spinal tuberculosis (TB), and, until now, which one should be chosen is still controversial. This study aimed to compare the therapeutic efficacy between the single posterior surgery and combined posterior–anterior surgery for lumbar tuberculosis (LTB) patients to elucidate the role of debridement and the effects that result from posterior structure resection.MethodsOne hundred and nineteen LTB patients managed with single posterior debridement, interbody graft, and instrumentation surgery (Group P, 73 cases), or combined posterior–anterior surgery of posterior instrumentation and anterior debridement and interbody graft (Group P‐A, 46 cases) from January 2008 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Different indexes were compared between the two groups to evaluate the curative effect and explore the role of debridement and the effects that result from posterior structure resection: operation time, blood loss, visual analog