Support of the anterior column with allografts in tuberculosis of the spine

Fresh-frozen allografts from the humerus were used to help to stabilise the spine after anterior decompression, for tuberculosis in 47 children with a mean age of 4.2 years (2 to 9). The average angle of the gibbus,before ope ration, was 53 degrees; at follow-up, two years later, it was 15 degrees. R ejection of the graft or deep sepsis was not seen. Cross trabeculation betw een the allograft and the vertebral body was observed at six months, with r emodelling occurring at approximately 30 months.