ArticleBMC musculoskeletal disorders2025
Clinical and epidemiological analysis of 893 patients with spinal tuberculosis: an 11-Year investigation of a general hospital in East China.
Article in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Clinical and imaging factors associated with paraplegia at presentation in thoracic spinal tuberculosis.International orthopaedics · 2026Article
- miR-29a-3p targets the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to suppress inflammation and MMP-9-dependent matrix degradation in spinal tuberculosis.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2026Article
- Integration of single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing reveals divergent T-cell immune circuits and a shared osteo-immune pathway in spinal tuberculosis and brucellar spondylitis.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2026Article
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5 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundThe burden of spinal tuberculosis (STB) in China remains substantial, with the country ranking third in the number of tuberculosis cases globally in 2022, among the 30 countries with a high tuberculosis burden. In East China, few large-scale studies have been conducted on STB.
methodsThis retrospective study analyzed 893 confirmed STB cases (2010-2020). Demographic, clinical, and diagnostic data were statistically characterized using χ²/t-tests for categorical/continuous variables (significance at P < 0.05).
resultsThe annual number of confirmed STB cases of spinal TB showed a sustained upward trend. Among 893 STB patients (male: female = 1.4:1; median age 56 years), rural populations exhibited higher prevalence (P = 0.264 for delayed hospitalization vs. urban). Farmers/laborers predominated (84.7%), with hypertension (32.4%), diabetes (18.5%) and osteoporosis (12.9%) as major comorbidities. Concurrent pulmonary TB occurred in 435 cases (48.7%) and other extrapulmonary TB in 71 (8.0%). Diagnostic evaluations revealed TSPOT (82.7%), histopathology (75.9%) and Xpert-MTB/RIF (71.8%) as most sensitive methods. Compared with histopathological gold standard, Xpert demonstrated 81.5% sensitivity, 58.8% specificity, 87.0% PPV and 48.3% NPV (kappa = 0.374). Combining histopathology with Xpert achieved 86.6% diagnostic accuracy, significantly surpassing individual methods (P < 0.001). Lesion distribution showed lumbar (44.3%) and thoracic (42.3%) predominance, mostly involving ≥ 2 contiguous vertebrae (91.3% continuous vs. 8.7% skip lesions). Chemotherapy remained primary treatment, with 6.5% drug resistance rate showing annual escalation (mainly monoresistance). Surgical intervention achieved favorable outcomes in 648 cases (72.6%).
conclusionOver the course of the study period, the overall diagnosis rate of spinal tuberculosis exhibited an upward trend. Despite East China's relatively advanced socioeconomic and healthcare systems, spinal tuberculosis remains a substantial public health challenge, primarily due to the region's complex population composition and high population mobility. The prevention and management of spinal tuberculosis continue to present considerable challenges. Early diagnosis, combined with an appropriate treatment course, ensures that both chemotherapy and surgical interventions yield satisfactory outcomes. Increasing the allocation and investment of medical resources for tuberculosis, enhancing health management for migrant populations, and raising public health awareness are essential.
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