Objective:

To explore the value of multimodal neuroelectrophysiological monitoring technology in the evaluation of spinal cord and nerve root function for the treatment of thoracic tuberculosis with debridement and bone grafting and posterior internal fixation by transcostal transverse process approach.

Methods:

The clinical data of 25 patients with thoracic tuberculosis underwent debridement and bone grafting and posterior vertebral arch internal fixation by transcostal transverse process approach from December 2018 to September 2019 was retrospectively analyzed. Among these 25 patients, including 14 males and 11 females;aged from 20 to 83 years old, with a mean of (63.45±9.65) years;there were 3 cases of single vertebral body destruction, 13 cases of 2 vertebral bodies destruction, and 9 cases of 3 or more vertebral bodies destruction. All surgical patients underwent intraoperative detection of somatosensory evoked potential(SEP) and transcranial electric stimulation-motor evoked potential(TES-MEP);and electromyography (EMG) was used to monitor the pedicle screw placement and lesion removal. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR) was used to evaluate the decline of inflammatory indexes, the visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the thoracic spine pain, and the Cobb angle and Oswestry Disability Index(ODI) were used to evaluate the improvement of function.

Results:

All 25 patients were successfully monitored. Five patients had abnormal SEP waveforms during operation, 3 cases were caused by intraoperative clearing of lesions and spinal cord compression during irrigation, timely replacement of instruments and gestures, and adjustment of irrigation water flow rate returned the waveform to normal; one case was caused by a decrease in systolic blood pressure, and the waveform returned to normal after timely treatment of increased blood pressure;after 1 case of SEP waveform abnormality, the operation was suspended for 10 minutes and recovered spontaneously, and the waveform abnormality did not reappear until the end of the operation. Seven patients had abnormal TES-MEP waveforms, 5 cases occurred when the pedicle screw was inserted, the nail path was adjusted in time, and the waveform recovered after nail repositioning;one case was caused by tilting the operation bed during operation, and the waveform gradually recovered after adjusting the tilt angle of operation bed; one case occurred during the correction of the pedicle screw and rod system, and the waveform gradually returned to normal after the contralateral screw and rod correction were completed during operation. In 5 cases, the EMG burst potential was detected at the same time when the TES-MEP waveform was abnormal. After adjustment, the EMG burst potential disappeared. There was no abnormality in the TES-MEP and SEP waveforms at the same time. Postoperative VAS, ESR, Cobb angle, and ODI were improved compared with preoperatively (P<0.05).

Conclusion:

In patients with thoracic tuberculosis, the use of debridement and bone grafting and posterior internal fixation by transcostal transverse process approach combined with intraoperative SEP, TES-MEP and EMG monitoring can timely reflect the spinal cord and nerve root function, avoid intraoperative injuries while achieving good fixation and lesion removal.