Postoperative infection of lumbar intervertebral disk space

Sixteen cases of postoperative intervertebral disk space infection are reviewed. Most occurred after diskectomy, but one followed an unsuccessful attempt at a spinal anesthetic and two followed diskography. Treatment varied from aggressive surgery, either by a posterior, lateral, or anterior approach, to drain the infected disk space or spaces, to more conservative immobilization. Antibiotics were used in all cases. Needle biopsy is valuable in establishing diagnosis and identifying the organism and its antibiotic sensitivities. In some cases fusion occurred spontaneously from the infection; in others, fusion was a result of surgical fusion preceding or following the infection.