Title
Functional outcomes in early-stage thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis: A prospective comparison of conservative chemotherapy and selective surgical management
Authors
Tarunesh Sharma*, Mayank Agarwal & Gaurav Dhakre
Affiliation
Department of Neurosurgery, SN Medical College, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India; *Corresponding author
Tarunesh Sharma – E-mail: tarunesh.neurosurgeon@gmail.com
Mayank Agarwal – E-mail: drmayankag@gmail.com
Gaurav Dhakre – E-mail: gauravdhakregd@gmail.com
Article Type
Research Article
Date
Received July 1, 2026; Revised July 31, 2026; Accepted July 31, 2026, Published July 31, 2026
Abstract
Early-stage thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis lacks clear evidence for selecting conservative or surgical treatment in neurologically stable patients. Therefore, it is of interest to compare the clinical and radiological outcomes of conservative and selective surgical management in 32 patients. Both treatment strategies significantly improved pain, disability and radiological healing, with no significant difference in overall functional recovery at 12 months. Surgical treatment achieved faster neurological recovery and greater kyphosis correction but was associated with more complications than conservative therapy. Thus, data shows the individualized stage-based approach, reserving surgery for patients with neurological deficit or deformity requiring intervention.
Keywords
Spinal tuberculosis, thoracolumbar spine, conservative management, spinal decompression, kyphotic deformity, oswestry disability index, neurological recovery
Citation
Sharma et al. Bioinformation 22(7): 4036-4040 (2026)
Edited by
Hiroj Bagde
ISSN
0973-2063
Publisher
License
This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. This is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.
