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.