Primary Closure of Infected Spinal Wounds

Although postoperative infections of spinal wounds are uncommon, when they occur, they cause considerable morbidity. The classic treatment for deep infected wounds of the spine involves opening the wound, packing it, and permitting secondary closure to occur through granulation. A combined total of 10 patients with infected postoperative spinal wounds (two cervical and eight lumbar) from the Lahey Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic were treated by primary closure. Infection was diagnosed, usually within 2 weeks of operation (average, 10.9 days), by increasing back pain, purulent drainage from the incision, cultures, and subfascial extension of the process. In one patient, an associated disk space infection was observed. Causative organisms were Staphylococcus aureus in five patients and Staphylococcus epidermidis in five patients. At the second operation, the wounds were opened and radically debrided, irrigated, and closed primarily over one or two large drains. Treatment with intravenously administered antibiotics was continued postoperatively; the duration of treatment varied from 10 days to 6 weeks, depending on the presence or absence of involvement of bone or disks. Complete resolution of the infections and primary healing of the wounds occurred in all patients. This technique offers advantages over the traditional technique of secondary wound closure by decreasing the amount of wound care and length of hospitalization and is recommended as the treatment of choice for patients with postoperative spinal wound infections.