Pseudarthrosis after postoperative wound infection in the lumbar spine

J Spinal Disord. 1997 Dec;10(6):482-7.

Abstract

This retrospective investigation attempts to define the incidence of fusion success after postoperative infection after a posterior lumbar fusion, as well as which risk factors may adversely affect arthrodesis after successful debridement. At an average follow-up of 37 months, 18 of 29 patients (62.1%) had a successful arthrodesis. Eighty-seven percent of patients whose fusion excluded the sacrum had a solid arthrodesis, compared with only 36% of those fusions including the sacrum. The fusion rate in female patients was 33.3%, compared with 82.4% in male patients. The rate of fusion with allograft bone was 17.2 versus 83.3% with autograft bone. Female sex, the use of allograft bone, and extension of the fusion mass to the sacrum significantly increase the incidence of nonunion after a postoperative deep spinal wound infection.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Bacterial Infections / complications
  • Bacterial Infections / epidemiology
  • Bone Transplantation
  • Debridement
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Internal Fixators
  • Lumbar Vertebrae / surgery*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pseudarthrosis / epidemiology
  • Pseudarthrosis / etiology*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Sacrum / surgery*
  • Spinal Diseases / surgery
  • Spinal Fractures / surgery
  • Spinal Fusion / adverse effects*
  • Spinal Fusion / instrumentation
  • Surgical Wound Infection / complications*
  • Surgical Wound Infection / epidemiology
  • Transplantation, Autologous
  • Transplantation, Homologous
  • Treatment Outcome