Articles | Volume 10, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/jbji-10-451-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/jbji-10-451-2025
Brief report
 | 
12 Nov 2025
Brief report |  | 12 Nov 2025

Defining postoperative spinal infections: navigating the inconsistencies in diagnostic definitions

Seyed Mohammad Amin Alavi, Fabio Borgonovo, Francesco Petri, Takahiro Matsuo, Andrea Gori, Jeremy D. Shaw, Aaron J. Tande, and Elie F. Berbari

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Cited articles

Abdul-Jabbar, A., Takemoto, S., Weber, M. H., Hu, S. S., Mummaneni, P. V., Deviren, V., Ames, C. P., Chou, D., Weinstein. P. R., Burch, S., and Berven, S. H.: Surgical Site Infection in Spinal Surgery: Description of Surgical and Patient-Based Risk Factors for Postoperative Infection Using Administrative Claims Data, Spine, 37, https://doi.org/10.1097/BRS.0b013e318246a53a, 2012. 
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Breuninger, M., Yagdiran, A., Willinger, A., Biehl, L. M., Otto-Lambertz, C., Kuhr, K., Seifert, H., Fätkenheuer, G., Lehmann, C., Sobottke, R., Siewe, J., and Jung, N.: Vertebral Osteomyelitis After Spine Surgery: A Disease With Distinct Characteristics, Spine, 45, https://doi.org/10.1097/BRS.0000000000003542, 2020. 
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Short summary
The rising rate of spinal surgeries has led to more postoperative infections, yet no standardized diagnostic criteria exist. We analyzed over 100 studies and found considerable variation in definitions. Our findings underscore the need for a unified diagnostic framework that integrates clinical signs, laboratory data, and imaging to enhance diagnostic accuracy, support clinical decision-making, and improve consistency in future research.
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