The Comparative Influence of 2 and 4 Weeks Preoperative Antituberculosis Treatment on Spinal Tuberculosis Surgery: A Multicenter, Prospective, Randomized Clinical Trial.

INTRODUCTION: A trade-off between successful surgery and minimizing the operation delay for patients with spinal tuberculosis (TB) is a major consideration to determine the duration of preoperational anti-TB treatment (AAT). In this study, 2 and 4 weeks preoperative AAT durations were compared for their influence on the operation outcomes.

METHOD: A multicenter, prospective, randomized trial was conducted in four hospitals in China. New patients with spinal TB were recruited and randomly allocated to two groups (2 or 4 weeks' preoperative treatment) and administered the standardized first-line anti-TB drugs. The symptom changing and indicators reflecting recovery and side effects of the treatment were monitored. Patient was followed up for another 18 months after completion of treatment.

RESULTS: In total, 150 eligible patients were enrolled between June 2014 and December 2016, and 13 patients were excluded after the enrollment. The remaining 137 participants were randomly allocated to the 2-week group (n = 68) or the 4-week group (n = 69). These two groups acquired similar surgical outcomes, considering wound healing rate within 3 months after the operation (94.20%, 65/69 vs 89.71%, 61/68; P = 0.333) and bony fusion rate within 6 months (98.46%, 64/65 vs 95.45%, 63/66; P = 0.317). However, the culture positive rate of pus collected during operation in the 4-week group (41.94%) was significantly lower than that of the 2-week group (60.94%, P = 0.033). No reoccurrence of disease was observed in either group during the 18-month follow-up period.

CONCLUSION: Patients with spinal TB administered 2 or 4 weeks of preoperative anti-TB treatment acquired similar surgical outcomes. However, patients who underwent the operation sooner suffered 2 weeks less agony from the disease.