Closed Space Infection Following Removal of Lumbar Intervertebral Disc

¹ Orthopaedic Surgeon-in-Chief, Tufts-New England Medical Center, and Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts

My experience and that of my associates indicate that an infection of an intervertebral-disc space after surgery is uncommon, but the complication is more frequent than previously suspected. The typical infection of an intervertebral-disc space occurs more often when the septic process is confined to the space than when an obvious wound infection is present. The clinical picture and findings on roentgenogram follow a rather typical course. The treatment outlined consists in external fixation, antibiotics, and surgical intervention in occasional patients. The use of appropriate antibiotics is strongly recommended despite the fact that less than one-half of the patients have a positive culture. After adequate treatment a reasonably successful recovery and return to a normal life can be expected. Patients in whom a spontaneous osseous fusion occurred had the best results.

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