Intraoperative Vancomycin Use in Spinal Surgery: Single Institution Experience and Microbial Trends.

Study Design. Retrospective Case Series.Objective. To demonstrate the microbial trends of spinal surgical site infections(SSI) in patients who had previously received crystallized vancomycin in the operative bed.Summary of Background Data. Prior large, case control series demonstrate the significant decrease in SSI with the administration of vancomycin in the wound bed.Methods. A single institution, electronic database search was conducted for all spinal surgery patients who had received prophylactic crystalline vancomycin powder in the wound bed. Patient\u27s with a prior history of wound infection, intrathecal pumps, or spinal stimulators were excludedResults. 981 consecutive patients (494 male, 487 female, mean age 59.4 years, range 16-95 years) were identified from January 2011 to June 2013. The average dose of vancomycin powder was 1.13 grams(range: 1-6 grams). 66 patients (6.71%) were diagnosed with a SSI of which 51 patients had positive wound cultures (5.2%). Of the 51 positive cultures the most common organism was Staphylococcus aureus. The average dose of vancomycin was 1.3 grams in the 38 cases where a gram-positive organism was cultured. A number of gram-negative infections were encountered such as Serratia marcescens, Enterobacter aerogenes, Bacteroides fragilis, Enterobacter cloacae, Citrobacter koseri and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The average dose of vancomycin was 1.2 grams in 23 cases where a gram negative infection was cultured. 15 of the 51 (29.4%) positive-cultures were polymicrobial. 8 (53%) of these 15 polymicrobial cultures contained three or more distinct organisms.Conclusion. Prophylactic intraoperative vancomycin use in the wound bed in spinal surgery may increase the incidence of gram-negative or polymicrobial spinal infections. The use of intraoperative vancomycin may correlate with postoperative seromas, due to the high incidence of non-positive cultures. Large, randomized, prospective trials are needed to demonstrate causation and dose-response relationship

C7 intralaminar screw placement, an alternative to lateral mass or pedicle fixation for treatment of cervical spondylytic myelopathy, kyphotic deformity, and trauma: A case report and technical note

BACKGROUND: The authors present a case to illustrate the necessity and technical feasibility of C7 laminar screw placement for treatment of sub-axial cervical spondylitic myelopathy. The indications for C7 lateral mass screw placement was required internal fixation, with small lateral masses (8 mm) and pedicles (4 mm). CASE DESCRIPTION: A 67-year-old female with compressive myelopathy after a fall from standing is presented. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the cervical spine showed severe C3-6 spondylosis with canal and foraminal compromise. Computed tomography of the cervical spine confirmed the MR imaging findings as well as showed suboptimal lateral mass and pedicles for screw placement. The patient underwent a C3-6 laminectomy, C3-6 lateral mass, and C7 laminar screw placement. Postoperatively, the patient recovered without complication. CONCLUSION: Internal fixation of the cervical spine after iatrogenic destabilization by decompression of neural elements secondary to advanced spondylosis can be technically challenging. Anatomical landmarks needed for safe placement of lateral mass or pedicle instrumentation are often distorted by the patients’ advanced pathology or Inherent biology. The C7 screw is a key structural element to a long construct and therefore necessitates large lateral masses or pedicles to safely place a functional screw. C7 laminar screws may be placed safely without fluoroscopic guidance when sufficient C7 lateral mass or pedicle screws are not possible or with undue risk