SynthesisEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2016
Outcome of conservative and surgical treatment of pyogenic spondylodiscitis: a systematic literature review.
Synthesis in European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 119 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Clinical and Microbiological Analyses of Infections Following NeuroSurgery: a Retrospective, Single-center Study
Conservative Versus Surgical Treatment of Native Vertebral Osteomyelitis: a Randomized Multicentre Trial
Who cites it
119 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 235 citations in OpenAlex.
- The bacterial spectrum of spinal infections based on blood culture, tissue culture, and molecular methods: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2025Pooled it
- Influence of instrumentation type on outcomes after surgical management of spondylodiscitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2024Pooled it
- Understanding the management of pediatric spondylodiscitis based on existing literature; a systematic review.BMC pediatrics · 2023Pooled it
- Conservative versus early surgical treatment in the management of pyogenic spondylodiscitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2023Pooled it
- Orofacial manifestations of SAPHO syndrome: a systematic review of case reports.Clinical rheumatology · 2020Pooled it
- Yield of Image-Guided Needle Biopsy for Infectious Discitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology · 2017Pooled it
- Mesh cage for treatment of hematogenous spondylitis and spondylodiskitis. How safe and successful is its use in acute and chronic complicated cases? A systematic review of literature over a decade.European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2016Pooled it
- Continuous local antibiotic perfusion for spinal infection: a systematic review of reported cases.Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong) · 2026Review
- Article
- A Novel Gelatin Hydrogel-Based Drug-Delivery System Promotes Antimicrobial Efficacy in a Pyogenic Spondylodiscitis Rat Model.JOR spine · 2026Article
- Comparison of Hospital Mortality and Risk Factors in Conservative and Surgical Treatment of Pyogenic Vertebral Osteomyelitis: A Nationwide Analysis of 49,951 Cases in Germany.Global spine journal · 2026Article
- A novel endoscopic retroperitoneal approach for debridement in lumbar infectious spondylodiscitis at L4-5: a clinical series and technical note.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2026Article
- Impact of Culture Status on Outcomes in Vertebral Osteomyelitis: A Retrospective Cohort Study of 206 Patients.Global spine journal · 2026Article
- Infectious Spondylodiscitis of Bacterial Causes in Adults: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, Diagnostic and Treatment Challenges.Microorganisms · 2026Review
- Vertebral remodeling with denosumab after infection control inJBMR plus · 2026Article
- Prediction and risk factors for one year mortality in patients after surgery for pyogenic spondylodiscitis.Neurosurgical review · 2026Article
- Direct pedicle screw fixation in infected vertebrae for acute pyogenic spondylitis: short-term outcomes from a single-arm retrospective study.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2026Article
- Secondary changes in sagittal alignment after instrumented surgery with and without corpectomy for pyogenic spondylodiscitis.Brain & spine · 2026Article
- Outcomes and factors associated with medical treatment failure in patients with spinal epidural abscess: A 14-year experience.PloS one · 2026Article
- Diagnostic Challenges in Spondylodiscitis After Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Mimicking Malignancy and Radiculopathy.International medical case reports journal · 2026Article
59 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSpondylodiscitis is a spinal infection affecting primarily the intervertebral disk and the adjacent vertebral bodies. Currently many aspects of the treatment of pyogenic spondylodiscitis are still a matter of debate. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to review the currently available literature systematically to determine the outcome of patients with pyogenic spondylodiscitis for conservative and surgical treatment strategies.
methodsA systematic electronic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Collaboration, and Web of Science regarding the treatment of pyogenic spondylodiscitis was performed. Included articles were assessed on risk of bias according the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, and the quality of evidence and strength of recommendation was evaluated according the GRADE approach.
results25 studies were included. Five studies had a high or moderate quality of evidence. One RCT suggest that 6 weeks of antibiotic treatment of pyogenic spondylodiscitis results in a similar outcome when compared to longer treatment duration. However, microorganism-specific studies suggest that at least 8 weeks of treatment is required for S. aureus and 8 weeks of Daptomycin for MRSA. The articles that described the outcome of surgical treatment strategies show that a large variety of surgical techniques can successfully treat spondylodiscitis. No additional long-term beneficial effect of surgical treatment could be shown in the studies comparing surgical versus antibiotic only treatment.
conclusionThere is a strong level of recommendation for 6 weeks of antibiotic treatment in pyogenic spondylodiscitis although this has only been shown by one recent RCT. If surgical treatment is indicated, it has been suggested by two prospective studies with strong level of recommendation that an isolated anterior approach could result in a better clinical outcome.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.