title: Surgical treatment of spondylodiscitis in the cervical spine: a minimum 2-year follow-up.
abstract: Cervical spine spondylodiscitis is a rare, but serious manifestation of spinal infection. We present a retrospective study of 20 consecutive patients between 01/1994 and 12/1999 treated because of cervical spondylodiscitis. Mean age at the time of treatment was 59.7 (range 34-81) years, nine of them female. In all cases, diagnosis had been established with a delay. All patients in this series underwent surgery such as radical debridement, decompression if necessary, autologous bone grafting and instrumentation. Surgery was indicated if a neurological deficit, symptoms of sepsis, epidural abscess formation with consecutive stenosis, instability or severe deformity were present. Postoperative antibiotic therapy was carried out for 8-12 weeks. Follow-up examinations were performed a mean of 37 (range 24-63) months after surgery. Healing of the inflammation was confirmed in all cases by laboratory, clinical and radiological parameters. Spondylodesis was controlled radiologically and could be achieved in all cases. One case showed a 15 degrees kyphotic angle in the proximal adjacent segment. Spontaneous bony bridging of the proximal adjacent segment was observed in one patient. In the other cases the adjacent segments radiologically showed neither fusion nor infection related changes. Preoperative neurological deficits improved in all cases. Residual neurological deficits persisted in three of eight cases. The results indicate that spondylodiscitis in cervical spine should be treated early and aggressive to avoid local and systemic complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Spinal Surgery, Zentralklinik Bad Berka, Bad Berka, Germany. christoph.heyde@charite.de
authors.forename: Christoph E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Heyde
authors.forename: Heinrich
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Boehm
authors.forename: Hesham
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: El Saghir
authors.forename: Sven K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Tschöke
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kayser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001860:Bone Plates / Q000592:standards; D001863:Bone Screws / Q000592:standards; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003646:Debridement / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D015299:Discitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016268:Internal Fixators / Q000592:standards; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000150:complications; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000150:complications; D016896:Treatment Outcome