Application of Cortical Bone Trajectory Screw for Treating Thoracolumbar and Lumbar Tuberculosis

The common form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis is spinal tuberculosis (TB). Spinal TB can lead to vertebral damage, resulting in kyphosis and neurological impairment. Debridement, bone grafting, and reconstruction are common surgical treatments for spinal TB. Spinal TB patients with anterior-middle spinal column destruction are more likely to experience loosening of internal fixation. Cortical bone trajectory (CBT) screw fixation reduces this complication probability because the entrance trajectory of CBT screws in the sagittal and axial planes substantially interacts with the cortical bone and boosts the screw-bone contact strength interface. The CBT screw insertion path is closer to the spinous process and involves less dissection of the paraspinal muscles; this approach appears to reduce intrinsic injury and postoperative pain. CBT screw is a safe and effective internal fixation method for spinal TB because it can effectively reduce the number of fixed segments, maximize spinal mobility, reduce tissue damage, and alleviate postoperative pain at the surgical site.