Treatment strategy for incision infection after internal fixation in the elderly patients with lumbar degenerative disease / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:With more and more elderly patients suffering lumbar degenerative disease undergoing internal fixation, infection after spinal internal fixation is a common complication in orthopedic surgeries, but its treatment strategy remains controversial.OBJECTIVE: To explore the curative efficacy of incision infection after internal fixation in the elderly with lumbar degenerative disease.METHODS: 197 patients with lumbar degenerative disease undergoing internal fixation and followed up for more than 2 years admitted in Department of Orthopedics, Beijing Shijitan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from January 2012 to January 2015, were analyzed retrospectively. The follow-up time was 2-4.9 years. There were 97 cases of lumbar stenosis, 29 cases of lumbar disc herniation, 33 cases of lumbar spondylolisthesis, 17 cases of degenerative scoliosis and 21 cases of lumbar compression fractures.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Eleven patients experienced incision infection, including ten acute, and one delayed infection. (2) Among acute infected cases, three were superficial infection in three cases and seven had deep infection,who characterized as exudation (10/10), local pain (8/10) and fever (9/10). Acute infected cases received bacterial culture, drug sensitive test, antibiotic therapy, and debridement of the infected wound, and leaving all internal fixators in situ in all but one case. (3) For delayed infection, one patient had local pain, incision exudation, and intermittent fever,and then the internal fixators were removed. (4) Pseudarthrosis was not founded during 2-year follow-up in all patients.(5) These results suggest that for the elderly patients suffering lumbar degenerative disease with infection after internal fixation, intravenous antibiotics, debridement plus drainage are recommended, but without internal fixator removal, and repetitive debridement and drainage is a rational choice if necessary.