Topical vancomycine and bacterial culture from intervertebral herniated disc prevent postoperative osteodiscitis

Abstract

Abstract Osteodiscitis represents a serious complication of lumbar disc herniation operations. The treatment of osteodiscitis is controversial and expensive to society. It extends over a period of several months from diagnosis. Reducing postoperative osteodiscitis by using simple measures may limit patient's suffering and reduce costs. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the early diagnosis of bacterial infections of the intervertebral disc by isolating germs located in the herniated disc fragment and topical Vancomycine powder application, along with the conventional anti-infective therapy. Medical files of patients who were operated on for lumbar disc herniations during 01.01.2013 - 30.06.2014 were reviewed. The diagnosis of lumbar disc herniation was established based on the clinical evaluation, confirmed by MRI results. The surgical intervention was performed by mini-open approach: fenestration and foraminotomy completed with removal of the herniated disc fragment and disc remnants from the intervertebral space. A group of 162 patients (group A) received conventional therapy for prevention of post-operative infections with 2 doses of cephalosporin. In the second group of 137 patients (group B), after the removal of the herniated disc fragments, 1g of Vancomycine powder was topically applied and the disc fragments were bacteriologically analyzed. They received the conventional treatment of preventing post-operative infections with cephalosprin - 2 doses. The two groups of patients were similar in terms of demographic characteristics: age, sex, operative level. Out of the 162 patients of group A, one patient developed postoperative osteodiscitis and was treated for 3 months with antibiotics. Regarding patients in group B, in four cases Staphylococcus was isolated from the disc fragments. Postoperative treatment for these patients with prolonged antibiotic therapy over the standard period avoided the developement of the clinical picture of osteodiscitis. Postoperative osteodiscitis requires prolonged antibiotherapy. By using simple measures, like topical Vancomycine powder application and early isolation of germs from the herniated intervertebral disc, followed by the immediate establishment of appropriate antibiotic treatment, this serious complication is avoided.