Surgical Infection after Posterolateral Lumbar Spine Arthrodesis: CT Analysis of Spinal Fusion.

Objective: To determine the incidence of infection after instrumented lumbar spine surgery, the demographic and surgical variables associated with acute infection, and the influence of infection and debridement on the consolidation of spinal fusion.

Methods: After obtaining approval from the hospital ethics committee, an observational study was made on a prospective cohort of consecutive patients surgically treated by posterolateral lumbar spine arthrodesis (n = 139, 2005-2011). In all cases, the minimum follow-up period was 18 months.