Male sex, pseudarthrosis and non-fusion cases predicted positive cultures in revision spinal surgery, according to a study in Spine.
The retrospective study comprised 578 presumed aseptic consecutive revision spine surgeries performed by four surgeons between 2008 and 2013.
Three things to know:
1. Cultures were obtained in 112 cases and were positive in 40.2 percent.
2. When cultures were obtained, pseudarthrosis accounted for 49.1 percent of revision diagnoses. Propionibacterium acnes was the most common organism isolated from positive cultures.
3. In light of these results, the study authors recommend cultures be obtained in revision cases for pseudarthrosis.