Treatment of Spondylodiscitis: Saving the Spine from a Dangerous Infection

Severe back pain is not always osteochondrosis or a herniated disc. Sometimes the cause of unbearable suffering is spondylodiscitis — a dangerous infectious inflammation of the intervertebral disc and adjacent vertebrae. Bacteria literally “eat away” at bone and cartilage tissue, which can lead to spinal destruction, the formation of abscesses, and irreversible damage to the spinal cord.

This disease requires urgent and highly qualified medical care. At St. Luke’s Clinic (Banchery village), a team of experienced vertebrologists and neurosurgeons provides a full cycle of spondylodiscitis treatment: from ultra-precise pathogen diagnosis to surgical spinal stabilization.

How does infection get into the spine and what are its symptoms?

Most often, bacteria (for example, Staphylococcus aureus or Koch’s bacillus) enter the spine through the bloodstream from another focus of inflammation in the body (after pneumonia, urinary tract infections, dental procedures, or surgeries). Less often, the infection is introduced directly during injuries or non-sterile injections.

Symptoms of spondylodiscitis that cannot be ignored:

• Specific pain: very severe, debilitating back pain that worsens at night or at rest. Ordinary ointments and pain relievers do not bring any relief.
• Signs of intoxication: elevated body temperature (from subfebrile to very high), chills, night sweats, severe weakness, and weight loss.
• Neurological disorders: if an abscess begins to press on the spinal cord or nerves, numbness in the legs, a tingling sensation, weakness in the limbs, or impaired bowel and bladder function appear.

Accurate diagnosis: identifying the enemy

The success of treatment depends on how quickly we identify the causative agent of the infection. For this purpose, our clinic performs:

1. Spinal MRI with contrast: the gold standard for diagnosis, which clearly shows disc inflammation, bone destruction, and the presence of pus around the nerves.
2. Vertebral trepanobiopsy (puncture): under X-ray control, the doctor takes a tissue sample from the affected vertebra with a thin needle. The laboratory cultures these bacteria to determine which antibiotic will guaranteed destroy them. This is a critically important step!
3. Detailed blood tests (markers of acute inflammation).

Treatment methods at St. Luke’s Clinic

Conservative treatment (without surgery)

If the disease is detected at an early stage, the vertebrae are not yet destroyed, and there are no abscesses, treatment is carried out conservatively in our hospital:

• Massive antibacterial therapy: intravenous administration of powerful antibiotics (selected based on biopsy results). The course of treatment is long — from 4 to 6 weeks or more.
• Immobilization: mandatory wearing of a rigid orthopedic corset to relieve stress on the affected part of the spine.

Surgical treatment of spondylodiscitis

Surgical intervention becomes vital if an epidural abscess has formed (pus pressing on the spinal cord), the spine has lost its stability (vertebrae are being destroyed), or the patient’s legs have started to become paralyzed.

Neurosurgeon’s tasks:

• Sanitation: the surgeon opens the focus, completely cleans out pus and dead infected disc and bone tissues (debridement).
• Decompression: freeing the spinal cord and nerve roots from pressure, which instantly restores sensation to the limbs.
• Stabilization: since inflammation “eats away” at the vertebrae, the spine needs reliable support. The surgeon installs modern titanium structures (screws and rods) that securely fix the spine and allow the patient to walk normally again.

Rehabilitation and recovery

Spondylodiscitis is a serious disease that requires patience from both the patient and the doctor. After surgical cleaning and stabilization, the patient continues the course of antibiotics in the hospital. At St. Luke’s Clinic, specialists in physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM) immediately join the work with the patient, helping the person to safely get back on their feet, adapt to the corset, and restore lost functions.

Back pain accompanied by fever is an alarm signal. Do not waste precious time, sign up for an emergency diagnosis with the vertebrologists of St. Luke’s Clinic!