Is Intraoperative Local Vancomycin Powder the Answer to Surgical Site Infections in Spine Surgery?

Study Design: This is a retrospective cohort comparative study of all patients who underwent instrumented spine surgery at a single institution.

Objective: To compare the rate of surgical site infection (SSI) between the treatment (vancomycin) and the control group (no vancomycin) in patients undergoing instrumented spine surgery.

Summary Of Background Data: SSI after spine surgery is a dreaded complication associated with increased morbidity and mortality.