Minimally invasive spine surgery in the treatment of pyogenic spondylodiscitis: an initial retrospective series study

INTRODUCTION: Pyogenic spondylodiscitis is a bacterial infection affecting the intervertebral disc and its adjacent vertebrae. Although relatively rare, it is a challenging medical disease with a poor prognosis that requires immediate diagnosis and treatment with suitable antibiotics. AIM: To evaluate the clinical outcome of minimally invasive spine surgery (MIS) for pyogenic spondylodiscitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The retrospective study cohort consisted of 10 consecutive patients who had undergone MIS decompression and/or discectomy for thoracic or lumbar pyogenic spondylodiscitis in our hospital. Data including patient characteristics, symptoms, visual analog scale (VAS) score, surgical approach and postoperative outcomes were obtained for retrospective analysis. RESULTS: Between January 2005 and December 2013, 10 patients underwent MIS decompression in the Department of Orthopedics in our medical university. Seven of these patients had lumbar infections and 3 had thoracic infections. All 10 patients had improved VAS scores immediately after surgery and after discharge. The VAS score (respectively on postoperative day 1 and day 7) suggested that the patients in this study had significantly less pain than preoperatively (day 1: 5 vs. 9, p < 0.001; day 7: 2.9 vs. 9, p < 0.001). The organism was obtained in 10 (100%) patients by the operative cultures. All patients achieved an excellent clinical recovery without the need for further spine surgery. All patients underwent postoperative imaging during follow-up and showed complete resolution or dramatically improved magnetic resonance imaging changes. CONCLUSIONS: Minimally invasive spine surgery is a safe and effective surgical approach for pyogenic spondylodiscitis.