Tuberculosis of the spine still remains as an important problem and also have high incidence in children in Korea.
Many cases of the tuberculous spine are complicated by deformities of the spine and disability such as paraplegia, incordination of the cardio-pulmonary function and also result in early death.
For the treatment of the tuberculous spondylitis following measure should be considered. First, eradication of the tuberculous lesion by conservative treatment or combined surgery, secondly, prevention of the deformity of the spine.
Lastly, care for physical and psycological or emotional changes, and care for cardio-pulmonary dys￢function which develops after establishment of spinal deformity.
Authors also attempted to analyse the kyphotic changes of the tuberculous spine of 70 children who were ambulating treatment at Pusan University Hospital and Pusan Charity Hospital, and obtained the result as follows
1. Lower thoracic and upper lumbar were mostly involved.
2. Nearly all cases of the new involvement of adjacent vertebra within 18 months. Only 4 cases now involvement occured after 18 months.
3. Kyphosis aggrevated grossly in 61.3% of cases. Most of them were apparent within 18 months but the changes developed after 18 months in 4.23% of cases.
4. In measuring the radiological kyphosis, Salter´s angle usually more simpler one than the internal gibbus angle.
5. Salter´s angle was larger involved than the internal gibbus angle except in mild and severe cases of the lumbar and lumbosacral involvement. Increase of kyphosis was 13. 6 degree by internal gibbus angle and 16.3% by Salter´s angle.
Kyphosis increased after 18 months were 3.1 degree by internal gibbus angle and 5.0 degree by Salter´s angle.
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