Lateral Approach With and Without Posterior Stabilization for Lumbar Pyogenic Spondylodiscitis Treatment: A Retrospective Study With an Average Follow-up of 7 Years

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to present the results after an average of 7-year follow-up in patients diagnosed with pyogenic spondylodiscitis (PS) treated with lumbar discectomy and fusion through minimally invasive lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF), with and without posterior stabilization.Methods: In this retrospective analysis, patients diagnosed with PS treated with minimally invasive LLIF were studied. Variables included C-reactive protein (CRP), blood cultures, and findings on magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and x-ray examinations. The classification of PS according to Pola was recorded.Results: Twenty-one patients were male (70%) and 9 were female (30%), with an average age of 67.6 years (range, 33–85 years). The average follow-up was 83.2 months (range, 12–160 months). In 7 out of the 30 cases, treatment consisted exclusively of discectomy and anterior fusion through LLIF. Bone consolidation was observed in 27 out of 30 cases (90%), with an average postoperative CRP level of 5.77±5.00 mg/L at the end of follow-up.Conclusion: The treatment of lumbar PS through debridement and minimally invasive LLIF, with or without posterior stabilization, resulted in infection control over an average follow-up of 83 months.