Evaluation of the management of tuberculosis of the spine at the orthopaedic unit - Kenyatta National Hospital over a ten year period

Abstract

The Management Of 204 Patients With Tuberculous Disease Of The Spine Seen Between The Period Of 1970 - 1979 At The Orthopaedic Unit Of Kenyatta National Hospital Has Been Studied And Evaluated. This Study Also Includes 11 Patients Followed Up Prospectively By The Author Over A Period Of One Year (june 1979 - May 1980). The Study Revealed Some Important Drift From 1973 Onwards From Surgical Management To Conservative Management, Surgery Being Limited To Fewer Cases Either With Some Definite Indications Or Where Conservative Treatment With Fair Trial Has Failed. Study Also Revealed That The Number Of Patients With T.b. Spine Attending This Unit Has Been Decreasing Gradually Either Because Of Satisfactory Management At Peripheral Hospitals Or Decline In The Overall Incidence Of The Disease.