Defining postoperative spinal infections: navigating the inconsistencies in diagnostic definitions

Area of Science:

• Spinal Surgery
• Infectious Diseases
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Postoperative spinal infections (PSIs) lack a standardized definition, impacting clinical practice and research.
• This ambiguity complicates accurate diagnosis, treatment, and comparative studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the current landscape of definitions used for postoperative spinal infections.
• To highlight the need for a standardized, universally accepted definition.

Main Methods:

• A meta-epidemiological approach was employed.
• Analysis of 101 studies investigating postoperative spinal infections.

Main Results:

• Most studies utilized predefined criteria for defining PSIs.
• A significant minority of studies developed their own definitions, predominantly based on clinical signs.
• Variability in definitions was observed across the analyzed literature.

Conclusions:

• The absence of a standardized definition for PSIs is a critical issue.
• Establishing a universal definition is essential for improving PSI diagnosis, management, and research.
• Standardization will facilitate more robust and comparable scientific investigations.