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Updated: Jun 24, 2026
Diagnosis and Surgical Treatment of Human Brucellar Spondylodiscitis
Published on: May 23, 2021
[Operative therapy of bacterial spondylodiscitis: a retrospective study]
C Ewald1, J Gartemann, S A Kuhn
1Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Klinikum der Friedrich Schiller-Universität, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747, Jena, Deutschland. Christian.ewald@med.uni-jena.de
Objective:
Bacterial spondylodiscitis is a rare entity in spinal surgery. This study analyses the postoperative results of 53 patients, focusing on the history, the treatment, and the course of the disease.
Material And Methods:
This retrospective study is based on the patients' medical charts, including the laboratory and microbiological data.
Results:
Twenty-nine patients suffered from different neurological deficits ranging from isolated mild hypaesthesia (n=1) to complete paraplegia (n=6). Depending on the affected area and the extension of the infection, surgery was done either as simple decompression in 16 cases or as decompression combined with a ventral or dorsoventral stabilization in 37 patients. Staphylococcus aureus was the most important triggering organism (n=23). After a median follow-up of 11.25 months, three patients had died, and 22 patients were still disabled because of persisting pain or neurological disturbances.
Conclusion:
Because of persistent neurological deficits and possible lethal complications, spondylodiscitis remains a severe problem. Management comprises targeted antibiotic therapy and surgery in selected cases.
