Treatment of tuberculosis of the spine with neurologic complications

Neurologic complications are the most dreaded complication of spinal tuberculosis. The patients who have paraplegia develop in the active stage of tuberculosis of the spine require active treatment for spinal tuberculosis and have a better prognosis than the patients who have paraplegia develop many years after the initial disease has healed. Neurologic dysfunctions in association with active tuberculosis of the spine can be prevented by early diagnosis and prompt treatment. Prompt treatment can reverse paralysis and minimize the potential disability resulting from Pott's paraplegia. When needed, a combination of conservative therapy and surgical decompression yields successful results in most patients with tuberculosis of the spine who have neurologic complications. The vertebral body primarily is affected in tuberculosis; therefore, decompression has to be anterior. Laminectomy is advocated in patients with posterior complex disease and spinal tumor syndrome. Late onset paraplegia is best avoided by prevention of the development of severe kyphosis. Patients with tuberculosis of the spine who are likely to have severe kyphosis develop (< 60 degrees) on completion of treatment should have surgery in the active stage of disease to improve kyphus.     

Pott's paraplegia in patients with severely deformed dorsal or dorsolumbar spines: treatment and prognosis

STUDY DESIGN: Pott's paraplegic patients with severe spinal deformity were reviewed retrospectively after being treated with chemotherapy and/or decompressive surgery. OBJECTIVES: To determine the most appropriate treatment protocol and to predict the prognosis for Pott's paraplegics with severe spinal deformity. SETTING: Catholic University of Korea Medical Center and Moon-Kim's Institute of Orthopedic Research, Seoul, Korea from 1971 to 1996. METHOD: In this study, there were 33 patients (eight children and 25 adults), ranging from 13 to 56 years of age. They developed spinal tuberculosis at the age of 9 years (range, 2-29 years), and remained neurologically symptom free from an average of 16 years (range, 4-27 years). Four adults who responded well to treatment initially suffered relapses of paraplegia. Only six patients had previously received a full course of triple chemotherapy. Seven (two children, five adults) had healed disease, and 26 (six children, 20 adults) had active disease. Eleven cases had frequent drainage from the sinuses. Kyphoscoliosis was found in 11 patients: four children and seven adults. The remaining patients had kyphosis only. Among the 26 patients with active tuberculosis, 10 had triple chemotherapy itself and the rest had additional decompression surgery (10 anterior and six posterior). All seven patients with healed tuberculosis were subjected only to surgery (two anterior and five posterior). RESULTS: In seven patients with healed tuberculosis, surgery did not improve neurologically except in one child patient. In four patients, the severity of paralysis remained unchanged and two patients, deteriorated neurologically after surgery. In six children with active tuberculosis, there were remarkable neurological recoveries by either conservative treatment or surgical decompression. Seven adults with active tuberculosis recovered slowly, improving by one or two Frankel grades (three Frankel C, three D, one E). In 11 out of 13 surgically treated adults with active disease, paralysis that had persisted for less than 3 months gradually improved by one or two Frankel grades. One Frankel A and one Frankel B paraplegic patients who had paralysis that had lasted through 6 months did not recover after surgery. CONCLUSION: The neurological recovery of Pott's paraplegics with severe spinal deformity resulted in three different outcomes: (1) severe deformity is different from moderate and mild deformities; (2) patients with healed tuberculosis had poorer prognosis than patients with active tuberculosis; (3) children had better prognosis than adults. Furthermore, patients with paralysis persisting over 6 months did not recover neurologically after surgery.     

经后路椎管前方减压治疗陈旧性胸腰椎骨折截瘫

目的：探讨陈旧性胸腰椎骨折截瘫后路椎管前方减压治疗的有效性。方法：59例陈旧性胸腰椎骨折瘫病人,平均伤后22个月,42例曾行椎板切除,经后正中入路,经一侧椎弓板内侧至椎体后缘行椎管前方减压,平均随诊14个月（1－8年）,结果：截瘫恢复率72．9％（43／59）,不全截瘫中术后Frankel分级提高一级或一级以上为84．4％（38／45）;排便功能改善率47％（28／59）,椎管扩大率48％,结论：脊髓前方有压迫的不全截瘫,尤其已行后路手术,留有内固定者,更适用于经后路椎管前方减压,为最大限度减压,椎管一侧压迫为主者,可行单侧椎弓根内侧减压,如椎管前方两侧压迫均重,就行双侧经椎弓根侧减压术。此方法效果满意,创伤小,出血少。     

Spinal hydatid disease: a case series

BACKGROUND: Over the past 10 years, 4 cases of spinal hydatid disease (3 men, 1 woman) were diagnosed and treated at our institution, with an average follow-up of 4 years. Hydatid disease of the spine is a rare condition with a poor prognosis that presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. METHODS: The patients were evaluated clinically, using the latest imaging modalities available in our institution. Decompressive surgeries were performed and the diagnosis was confirmed by histopathologic examination. All patients received long-term antihelminthic therapy with 400 mg of albendazole 3 times daily for 1 year. RESULTS: After surgery, all patients improved; however, over time, recurrence and residual disease were observed. Two patients had complete neurologic recovery at follow-up at 2 to 3 years, although there were radiographic signs of recurrence. The other 2 patients did not achieve complete neurologic recovery despite anterior decompression; they developed recurrent disease and the neurologic status deteriorated to spastic paraplegia. All patients refused further surgeries for recurrences and 2 patients died of complications of paraplegia. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis was challenging, eradication was difficult, and hydatid disease recurred in all 4 patients. In our experience, morbidity and mortality were high and prognosis was poor.     

Treatment and prognosis of patients with paraplegia or quadriplegia because of metastatic spinal cord compression in prostate cancer

Metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) is a serious complication of metastatic prostate cancer (PCa). This study retrospectively evaluated patients who presented with paraplegia or quadriplegia because of MSCC of PCa. Of 847 patients with PCa who were treated between 1989 and 1998, 26 (3.1%) demonstrated paraplegia or quadriplegia because of MSCC. Characteristics, treatment efficacy, and prognosis of these patients were analyzed. In total, 15 cases became paraplegic despite androgen ablation therapy (Group I). Average time to paraplegia from initial hormonal treatment was 34 months. Out of nine cases who underwent radiation therapy (RT) to spinal lesions with/without chemotherapy, one patient became ambulatory. However, this patient subsequently had recurrent compression. Two cases had remission of paralysis. Two cases underwent laminectomy plus RT and in one case paralysis improved. MSCC was the first indication of PCa in 11 cases (Group II). Two cases underwent laminectomy plus hormone therapy and nine cases underwent hormone therapy alone. Four patients became ambulatory and two cases showed improved motor capacity. Average interval from paraplegia to death was 7.4 months in Group I and 27.1 months in Group II. However, there was no statistical difference in these two groups on disease-specific survival from the start of initial treatment. It is difficult to recover the ability to walk if paraplegia or quadriplegia occurs in PCa patients although decompression surgery plus hormone therapy seemed to impair the prognosis. Stage M1 patients with paraplegia had survival rates as good as stage M1 patients without paralysis. This should encourage an aggressive treatment approach. However, for patients with hormone-independent disease there seems to be no effective treatment and prognosis is poor.     

Pott's paraplegia of late onset. The cause of compression and results after anterior decompression

Twenty-two patients with late onset Pott's paraplegia presenting at a mean of 18 years after initial symptoms were reviewed an average of seven years after treatment by anterior decompression and fusion. Fourteen patients had active disease, and in 12 of these, activity at the internal kyphus was the direct cause of the paraplegia. In the other two, a soft healing bony ridge was the cause. The eight patients with healed disease had hard bony ridges compressing the cord. The response to anterior decompression was faster, better and safer in patients with active disease: nine recovered completely and three significantly. In patients with healed disease, the anterior decompression was technically more difficult and the recovery less satisfactory. Significant complications included two cases with neurological deterioration, two with cerebrospinal fluid fistulae and four with neurapraxia of the cord.     

Neurosurgical management of paraplegia complicating Pott's disease: a six-case study

Tuberculosis is a rare disease in economically developed countries. Paraplegia is one of its severe complications, occurring in cases of spondylodiscitis with compressive epiduritis and/or pathological fracture of vertebral bodies with subacute kyphosis. Six patients aged 15-75 years were treated in our department from May 2005 to April 2006 by the same operator (L.N.) for paraplegia complicating Pott's disease. Patients’ neurologic function at admission and their outcomes three and 12 months after surgery were graded using the Frankel classification. MRI showed a single lesion in five cases and skip lesions in one case. Standard antituberculosis chemotherapy was started immediately within the first week of admission in five patients following a 12-month regimen. Principles of surgical treatment were ventral spinal cord decompression (with or without dorsal stage procedure), immediate grafting, correction of subacute spinal deformity and instrumentation in all cases. The diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was confirmed by laboratory investigations in four cases and by histopathological examination in all cases. One patient who had undergone prior isolated laminectomy performed by an on call team presented neurological deterioration and progressive kyphosis. Neurological outcome improved in five patients. Four of them were able to walk unaided within the first three months after surgery. No perioperative complication occurred. In paraplegia complicating vertebral tuberculosis, overall neurological outcome appeared to be good in case of delayed emergency surgical management combined with antituberculosis chemotherapy.     

Spinal Hydatid Disease: A Case Series

Abstract

Background: Over the past 10 years, 4 cases of spinal hydatid disease (3 men, 1 woman) were diagnosed and treated at our institution, with an average follow-up of 4 years. Hydatid disease of the spine is a rare condition with a poor prognosis that presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.

Methods: The patients were evaluated clinically, using the latest imaging modalities available in our institution. Decompressive surgeries were performed and the diagnosis was confirmed by histopathologic examination. All patients received long-term antihelminthic therapy with 400 mg of albendazole 3 times daily for 1 year.

Results: After surgery, all patients improved; however, over time, recurrence and residual disease were observed. Two patients had complete neurologic recovery at follow-up at 2 to 3 years, although there were radiographic signs of recurrence. The other 2 patients did not achieve complete neurologic recovery despite anterior decompression; they developed recurrent disease and the neurologic status deteriorated to spastic paraplegia. All patients refused further surgeries for recurrences and 2 patients died of complications of paraplegia.

Conclusion: Diagnosis was challenging, eradication was difficult, and hydatid disease recurred in all 4 patients. In our experience, morbidity and mortality were high and prognosis was poor.     

Cerebellar medulloblastoma in adults

From 1960 through 1981, 15 patients with cerebellar medulloblastoma, aged 16 years or over, were referred for irradiation following surgery. All patients received craniospinal irradiation; three patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. Five-year and 10-year survival rates of 63% and 38%, respectively, were obtained. The main cause of treatment failure was tumor recurrence in the posterior fossa. All local recurrences presented late, none developing within the first 3 years. One patient suffered systemic disease. The prognosis following relapse was poor. One patient achieved a prolonged remission following further surgery and radiotherapy, but died of treatment-related complications. The majority of the survivors are free of major deficit. One patient developed paraplegia 10 years after treatment. The possible risk of late damage to the hypothalamic-pituitary axis is discussed.     

胸腔镜辅助下经膈肌手术治疗胸腰椎爆裂骨折

目的探讨胸腔镜辅助下经膈肌切开手术治疗胸腰椎爆裂骨折的可行性及临床应用效果。方法2002年9月至2004年9月应用胸腔镜辅助下经膈肌手术治疗胸腰椎爆裂骨折22例,男15例,女7例;年龄28～71岁,平均39岁。骨折节段位于T112例、T1210例、L110例。完全性截瘫7例,不完全性截瘫15例。所有病例均行前路减压、植骨及钢板内固定。结果手术时间180～320min,平均230min;出血量500～2000ml,平均900ml。全部病例随访9￣35个月,平均19.5个月。CT显示骨折碎块清除彻底,椎管减压充分。椎间植骨均融合,融合时间平均3.8个月。1例螺钉固定时穿入椎间隙,经术中透视后及时纠正;1例术后出现脑脊液漏,经改变体位1周后愈合。术后未出现胸腔积液、气胸、膈肌疝等并发症。4例全瘫未恢复,14例神经功能明显恢复。结论胸腔镜辅助下经膈肌手术治疗胸腰椎爆裂骨折可做到良好的椎管减压、植骨及内固定。胸腔镜下切开及修复膈肌无须特殊的内镜设备,能避免经胸腹膜后及胸腹联合切口的并发症。     

前后路联合手术治疗胸腰椎骨折伴不全瘫(附32例报告)

目的 探讨应用后路椎弓根内固定系统复位固定联合前路减压植骨术治疗胸腰椎骨折伴不全瘫的临床疗效。方法 应用后路RF或AF复位固定骨折推体，结合前路经胸腹膜外途径椎体减压植骨术治疗胸腰椎爆裂型骨折伴不全瘫32例。结果 32例均能耐受手术，并获6～24个月的随访，X线片复查椎体前缘高度恢复，后突角消失，RF或AF螺钉无松动断裂，CT复查椎管减压彻底。32例均在术后2～4周内恢复排尿功能，6个月内两下肢均有Frankle 2～3级以上的神经功能恢复。结论 ①后路RF或AF复位、固定满意，前路手术减压彻底；②后路RF或AF复位内固定联合前路减压植骨术是治疗胸腰椎骨折伴不全瘫的安全有效价廉的手术方式。     

胸腰椎结核伴截瘫39例治疗分析

目的探讨胸腰段多椎体脊柱结核伴瘫痪一期前方病灶清除植骨融合和／或内固定治疗的疗效。方法回顾我院2004年3月至2006年8月,应用一期前方病灶清除、植骨加／或内固定植骨治疗39例胸腰椎结核伴截瘫患者。男20例,女19例,年龄3～74岁,平均38．7岁。病程3个月至12年。病变节段为：T2～L5,累及椎体数目：1个椎体2例,2个椎体20例,3个椎体4例,4个椎体8例,5个椎体4例,8个椎体1例。6例伴完全截瘫。所有病例术前均进行适当的抗痨治疗。术后39例随访12～41个月,平均24个月。结果术后伤口全部一期愈合,胸椎后凸畸形均明显改善,随访时无加重,随访1年时均获骨性融合。33例不完全性截瘫患者,Frankel分级平均恢复1．36级,6例完全截瘫患者有3例部分恢复,3例无恢复。结论活动性胸腰椎结核伴截瘫的一期椎体间自体骨植骨稳定并全部融合,内固定治疗可行、有效,减少了脊柱后凸畸形,促进截瘫恢复。     

Primary amyloidoma of the thoracic spine presenting with acute paraplegia

BACKGROUND

Primary solitary amyloidoma of the spine is a rare disease characterized by localized deposition of amyloid. To the best of our knowledge, there have been only 14 cases previously reported in the literature. Patients with focal spinal amyloidoma usually have relatively long symptomatic periods preoperatively, ranging from 3 weeks to 6 years (mean: 12 months). Only two reported patients had acute paraplegia. We add a third case of a thoracic spine amyloidoma presenting with acute paraplegia.

CASE DESCRIPTION

A 65-year-old man presented with a three-day history of progressive paraplegia and urinary retention. He was found to have severe cord compression at T2 on magnetic resonance imaging. He underwent emergent decompressive laminectomy with instrumentation for spinal stabilization. Histopathology revealed abundant amyloid deposits. A systemic work-up was negative for amyloidosis. The patient showed marked neurological improvement with residual mild spastic gait after 1 year.

CONCLUSIONS

Primary spinal amyloidoma with acute paraplegia is rare. One-stage surgery combining prompt decompression and stabilization of the spinal column is mandatory in cases of spinal amyloidoma with acute myelopathy, because primary solitary amyloidoma carries a good prognosis.     

Paraplegia of late onset in adolescents with healed childhood caries of dorsal spine: A cause of pressure on the cord and treatment

Background:

Paraplegia of late onset in adolescents with caries of dorsal spine is considered to be due to the reactivation of infection. Internal salient at the level of acute kyphotic deformity of the dorsal spine is formed by posterior cartilaginous remains of grossly destroyed vertebral bodies. The author presents a study of eight adolescent patients with paraplegia of late onset associated with severe kyphotic deformity of dorsal spine with observations on the cause of paraplegia, the final neurological outcome following anterior decompression and its prevention.

Materials and Methods:

Eight adolescent patients mean age 14.4 yrs 6 males and 2 females with healed childhood caries of dorsal spine, having a mean kyphotic angle of 80° (range 60°–140°) presented with paraplegia of late onset. Of these patients, two had medical research council grade 0 muscle power; four had grade 2 muscle power, and two others had grade 3 muscle power in the lower limbs and were unable to walk unaided. One patient with 140° kyphoscoliotic deformity with grade 3 muscle power had post-polio residual paralysis (PPRP) in addition. All patients were subjected to thorough anterior spinal decompression through transthoracic, transpleural thoracotomy from the left side.

Results:

In six of the eight patients, the spine at the site of deformity being very rigid, the deformity could not be corrected and the intervertebral gap was bridged with appropriate autogenous tricortical cortico cancelluous bone graft. In one patient (case 4), the kyphotic deformity could be corrected by 50%. In one patient with 140° kyphosis and PPRP, the gap after the decompression of cord, could not be bridged with bone graft and was given a custom made, well molded plastic black shell to wear while walking and, in particular, while traveling in a vehicle. In all seven patients, bone grafts took six months for bridging the intervertebral gaps. All patients recovered to grade 4 muscle power 6–12 months after surgery.

Conclusion:

In adolescents with healed caries of dorsal spine with acute kyphosis and paraplegia, the treatment of choice is anterior surgical decompression of the cord and bridging the gap thus created with bone graft.     

Paraplegia after spinal anesthesia]

A case of paraplegia occurring after a spinal anaesthetic is reported. The 79-year-old man was admitted for a fractured neck of femur. Twenty years previously, he had had pharyngeal surgery and a tracheostomy. He had also undergone a prostatectomy for prostate cancer, and had been on oestrogen therapy for two years. He complained of dyspnoea at rest and his chest film showed diffuse pulmonary opacities. In order to avoid possible intubation and respiratory complications, spinal anaesthesia was performed without any problems in the L4 space. After the surgery, the patient recovered all his motor and sensory functions in the lower limbs. On the second postoperative day, he suffered from a motor paralysis of the right leg, which spread to the left leg on the fourth day. NMR imaging showed several vertebral metastases, together with anterior and lateral epidural invasion responsible for cord compression. Treatment with tetracosactide was begun, but the patient died six weeks later in his home, not having recovered any neurological function at all in his lower limbs. In fact, it was only after the procedure that the anaesthetist was informed that, at the time the prostate cancer had been diagnosed, vertebral body metastases, of which the patient had not been informed, were already present. The part played by the spinal anaesthetic in the occurrence of the paraplegia is not clear. It is reminded that such a technique should be used with extreme care in patients having a neoplasm with a very often high incidence of vertebral metastases.     

Late onset Pott's paraplegia

BACKGROUND: Pott's disease may cause late neurological involvement due to development of sharp kyphosis. Anterior decompression and fusion is the treatment of choice for this disorder. OBJECTIVE: To determine the mid-term clinical results of patients with late onset Pott's paraplegia, who underwent anterior decompression and grafting after neurological deterioration. SETTING: A university hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. METHODS: Eight patients who developed late onset paraplegia with a mean period of 24.6 years (range, 9-46 years) after the active disease were treated with anterior decompression and grafting. The mean age at surgery was 36.1 years (range, 18-63 years) and the mean duration of neurological deterioration before surgery was 7.4 weeks (range, 2-13 weeks). The mean kyphosis angle of the patients was 105.63 degrees (range, 80 degrees- 135 degrees). No attempt to correct the curve was made in any operation. All but two patients' neurological status were evaluated according to the International Standards for Neurological and Functional Classification of Spinal Cord Injury determined by ASIA-IMSOP on admission. RESULTS: Neurological status of all patients showed progression either in Frankel scale or in motor scores in the early postoperative period. One patient needed to be reoperated on because of a deterioration of neurological status 26 months after surgery. The mean length of time since the operations is 75.9 months (range, 48 173 months) and all the patients are carrying out their lives independently with a mean motor score of 97.5 and full pin-prick and light touch scores. CONCLUSIONS: Anterior decompression and grafting is an effective procedure for the treatment of late onset paraplegia in Pott's disease.     

Instrumented stabilization in spinal tuberculosis

Spinal tuberculosis (TB) produces neurological complications and grotesque spinal deformity, which in children increases even with treatment and after achieving healing. Long-standing, severe deformity leads to painful costo-pelvic impingement, respiratory distress, risk of developing late-onset paraplegia and consequent reduction in quality and longevity of life. The treatment objective is to avoid the sequelae of neural complications and achieve the healed status with a near-normal spine. In TB, the spine may become unstable if all three columns are diseased. Pathological fracture/dislocation of a diseased vertebral body may occur secondary to mechanical insult. Surgical decompression adds further instability, as part of the diseased vertebral body is excised. The insertion of a metallic implant is to provide mechanical stability and the use of an implant in tubercular infection is safe. Indications for instrumented stabilisation can be categorised as: (a) pan vertebral disease, in which all three columns are diseased; (b) long-segment disease, in which after surgical decompression a bone graft >5 cm is inserted with instrumentation to prevent graft-related complications and consequent progression of kyphosis and neural complications and (c) when surgical correction of a kyphosis is performed when both anterior decompression and posterior column shortening is required. The implant choice should be individualised according to the case. Pedicle screw fixation in kyphus correction in healed disease is a most suitable implant. Hartshill sublaminar wiring stabilisation in active disease is a suitable implant to stabilise the spine, taking purchase against healthy posterior complex of the vertebral body to save a segment.     

Hydatid disease of the spine causing paraplegia. The combined treatment by surgical drainage and mebendazole: a case report

Hydatid disease of the spine is a rare disease with a poor prognosis. Paraplegia is a severe complication and has a low chance for recovery. Surgical drainage and decompression has been the treatment of choice although success was limited. Medical treatment with mebendazole was introduced in 1977 for cystic and alveolar Hydatid disease of the liver. In this paper, a case with Hydatid disease with complete paraplegia is presented. He was treated by combined surgical and medical treatment that included several surgical drainages, decompression, and fusion procedures, accompanied by high dose mebendazole for three years. Recovery from the paraplegia was complete except for the persistence of a neurogenic bladder. Neither clinical nor laboratory evidence of activity of the disease existed after six years of follow-up. This case must encourage further clinical trials in such cases, combining surgical treatment with mebendazole.     

颈椎前路手术早期并发症原因分析及对策

目的总结颈椎前路手术的术中、术后早期并发症,分析原因并提出对策。方法回顾1992年1月至2003年12月颈椎前路手术412例,男308例,女104例;年龄18～76岁,平均45.6±12.9岁。颈椎病258例,颈椎外伤138例,颈椎肿瘤8例,颈椎结核8例。412例患者,病史最短4小时,最长达20年,平均548d。全瘫58例(14.1%),不全瘫192例(46.6%),无瘫痪症状162例(39.3%)。麻醉包括三大类(5种)局麻(局部浸润35例、颈丛阻滞52例、局部浸润 颈丛阻滞6例、全麻318例、全麻 颈丛1例。前路减压、自体髂骨植骨融合33例,前路减压、椎间融合器椎间融合术32例,前路减压、自体髂骨植骨融合、前路钢板内固定术347例。结果共42例51例次出现早期并发症,并发症的例次发生率为12.37%。28例次(6.80%)同手术直接相关,喉上神经损伤5例次,喉返神经损伤4例次,颈部切口感染及血肿4例次,脊髓损害症状加重5例次,神经根损伤2例次,植骨块移位2例次,取骨区感染及血肿各1例次,钢板、螺钉松动2例次,螺钉位置不当1例次,食管瘘1例次;23例次(5.08%)同手术间接相关。结论降低颈椎前路手术并发症的发生率,不仅要熟悉颈椎前路临床解剖,提高手术技巧,还要做好颈椎前路手术围手术期的处理。     

Simultaneous anterior decompression and posterior instrumentation of the tuberculous spine using an anterolateral extrapleural approach

Injury to the spinal cord and kyphosis are the two most feared complications of tuberculosis of the spine. Since tuberculosis affects principally the vertebral bodies, anterior decompression is usually recommended. Concomitant posterior instrumentation is indicated to neutralise gross instability from panvertebral disease, to protect the anterior bone graft, to prevent graft-related complications after anterior decompression in long-segment disease and to correct a kyphosis. Two-stage surgery is usually performed in these cases. We present 38 consecutive patients with tuberculosis of the spine for whom anterior decompression, posterior instrumentation, with or without correction of the kyphus, and anterior and posterior fusion was performed in a single stage through an anterolateral extrapleural approach. Their mean age was 20.4 years (2.0 to 57.0). The indications for surgery were panvertebral disease, neurological deficit and severe kyphosis. The patients were operated on in the left lateral position using a 'T'-shaped incision sited at the apex of kyphosis or lesion. Three ribs were removed in 34 patients and two in four and anterior decompression of the spinal cord was carried out. The posterior vertebral column was shortened to correct the kyphus, if necessary, and was stabilised by a Hartshill rectangle and sublaminar wires. Anterior and posterior bone grafting was performed. The mean number of vertebral bodies affected was 3.24 (2.0 to 9.0). The mean pre-operative kyphosis in patients operated on for correction of the kyphus was 49.08 degrees (30 degrees to 72 degrees) and there was a mean correction of 25 degrees (6 degrees to 42 degrees). All except one patient with a neural deficit recovered complete motor and sensory function. The mean intra-operative blood loss was 1175 ml (800 to 2600), and the mean duration of surgery 3.5 hours (2.7 to 5.0). Wound healing was uneventful in 33 of 38 patients. The mean follow-up was 33 months (11 to 74). None of the patients required intensive care. The extrapleural anterolateral approach provides simultaneous exposure of the anterior and posterior aspects of the spine, thereby allowing decompression of the spinal cord, posterior stabilisation and anterior and posterior bone grafting. This approach has much less morbidity than the two-stage approaches which have been previously described.