Neurological complications (paraplegia or quadriplegia) and spinal deformity are the most dreaded complications of tuberculosis of spine.1 Neurological complications develop in the active or healed stage of the disease. The sequelae of these two complications affect the quality and span of life. Almost all tuberculosis of spine, even if they are treated well, leave behind some amount of kyphosis in different segments of spine [Figure 1]. Persistent spinal deformity affects the biomechanics of all segments of the spine. The life expectancy of human beings has increased globally. If deformity is moderate to severe, these patients report 10–20yrs later with the clinical problems related to persistent spinal deformity and paraplegia with the healed disease.
Figure 1
Figure 1
Plain X-ray (lateral view) of cervical spine (a) and dorsal spine (b) shows a severe healed kyphosis of upper cervical spine and dorsolumbar spine as a sequelae of TB spine
The objective of treatment of spinal tuberculosis in the preantibiotic era used to be, to achieve bacteriological quiescence of spinal tubercular lesion, probably by natural immunity. With the advent of effective chemotherapy the objective of the treatment has changed to healing of spinal TB with residual spinal deformity. Development in the field of imaging has allowed us to diagnose TB of spine in less advanced stage of the disease. With better operating theatre (OT) facilities, intensive care units (ICU), spinal instrumentation and diagnostics we should aim to achieve healed status of disease with minimal or no spinal deformity. The issues which need careful discussion are identification of adult patients in whom kyphosis will increase on treatment producing severe deformity, children in whom kyphus should be taken for correction and to reach a consensus on treatment when patient presents with severe healed kyphosis with or without neural deficit. This review article is presented to analyze the pathology of kyphosis in spinal TB and discuss strategies to prevent/correct post-tubercular kyphotic deformities.