Diagnosis and Surgical Treatment of Human Brucellar Spondylodiscitis

Summary

We describe a clinical algorithm, based on decades of front-line experience of diagnosis and surgical treatment of human Brucellar spondylodiscitis in the largest medical center of the China's Xinjiang Pastoral Area.

Abstract

Brucellar spondylodiscitis (BS) is the most prevalent and significant osteoarticular presentation of human Brucellosis, which is commonly manifested in pastoral communities. It is difficult to differentially diagnose and usually leads to irreversible neurologic deficits and spinal deformities. The initial diagnosis of BS is based on clinical findings and radiographic assessments, and the confirmed diagnosis should be established by the isolation of Brucella species from the blood and/or the standard tube agglutination test. Differential diagnosis of multifocal BS from either degenerative disc diseases or tuberculosis is especially highlighted. The surgical approach, either endoscopic or open, is demonstrated in detail, accompanied by radiographic evidence of structural compression or severe instability. Further, the crucial surgical steps, including single-stage transforaminal decompression, debridement, interbody fusion, and internal fixation, are explained. Moreover, perioperative care and postoperative rehabilitation are also addressed. Taken together, this clinical algorithm presents a practical guide that has yielded substantially satisfactory outcomes in the past decades, which can also be introduced for large-scale application to manage human BS, especially in endemic regions.

Introduction

With more than half a million new cases annually, human Brucellosis has become a public health concern and remains an enormous burden worldwide^1,2,3,4. BS, as the most common and severe osteoarticular manifestation of human Brucellosis, involves multiple structures including vertebral bodies, intervertebral disc, and paraspinal structures^5,6. It occurs frequently in the lumbosacral zone and needs to be differentiated from other infectious diseases because of its nonspecific clinical ....

Protocol

The study was approved by the ethical committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, China¹⁷.

1. Informed Consent

1. Obtain the patient's informed consent after explaining the details of the surgical procedure, postoperative prognosis, and possible complications (infection, epidural hematoma, spinal cord injury, failure of internal fixation, and cerebrospinal fluid leakage).
2. Explain the other risks generally associated with using an implant (e.g., internal fixation system) such as allergic or immune system responses to the implanted materials.
3. Rule out any ....

Results

This paper describes a prospective, non-randomized, controlled study of 32 consecutive BS patients who were treated by a single-stage transforaminal decompression, debridement, interbody fusion, and internal fixation via a posterior-only approach in the Department of Spine Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China. Figure 1 shows a typical case in this study.

T.......

Discussion

The present guideline of diagnosis and surgical treatment of human BS with a detailed protocol and satisfactory clinical evidence from representative cohorts shows clinical efficacy and is proposed for large-scale application to manage human BS, especially in endemic regions. The first critical step in the treatment of BS is to make the correct diagnosis. The diagnosis of BS needs to be differentiated from spinal tuberculosis compared to which BS is relatively less bone-destructive and usually responds effectively to ant.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Absorbable gelatin sponge	Chuhe Medical Devices Co., Ltd.	AWZ-035-XSMJHM-AD.	60 mm x 20 mm x 5 mm
Box curette	Rudischhauser GmbH	R16-BD2310-ST	Width: 7.5 mm; height: 5.9 mm; shaft: 6.0 mm (diameter); working length: 223 mm
Bone graft funnel	Rudischhauser GmbH	R19-K00000-FU	Working length: 246.5 mm; End diameter: 42 mm; shaft: 6.4 mm (diameter)
Bone pusher	Rudischhauser GmbH	R19-EK4110-00	Working length: 220 mm; shaft: 6.0 mm (diameter)
Bone rongeur	Vet Direct & VETisco	EC-RG-BO-180	Length: 180 mm
Iodophor (1%)	Beijing SanYao Science & Technology Development Co.	14975I	Volume: 500 mL
Nerve retractor	Rudischhauser GmbH	R16-HD1710-00	Width: 10 mm; length: 145 mm; shaft: 5.0 mm (diameter)
Osteotome 1	Rudischhauser GmbH	R16-CD2310-08	Width: 8 mm; height: 3 mm; shaft: 6.0 mm (diameter); working length: 223 mm
Osteotome 2	Rudischhauser GmbH	R16-CD2310-10	Width: 10 mm; height: 3 mm; shaft: 6.0 mm (diameter); working length: 223 mm
Pedicle screw	DePuy Synthes Companies	199723540	Length: 40 mm; diameter: 5.0 mm
	DePuy Synthes Companies	199723545	Length: 45 mm; diameter: 5.0 mm
	DePuy Synthes Companies	199723550	Length: 50 mm; diameter: 5.0 mm
	DePuy Synthes Companies	199723640	Length: 40 mm; diameter: 6.0 mm
	DePuy Synthes Companies	199723645	Length: 45 mm; diameter: 6.0 mm
	DePuy Synthes Companies	199723650	Length: 50 mm; diameter: 6.0 mm
	DePuy Synthes Companies	199723740	Length: 40 mm; diameter: 7.0 mm
	DePuy Synthes Companies	199723745	Length: 45 mm; diameter: 7.0 mm
	DePuy Synthes Companies	199723750	Length: 50 mm; diameter: 7.0 mm
Securo Drain	Dispomedica GmbH	1.33578	Size: 7 mm; Length of perforation: 15 cm; Total length: 80 cm; Reservior size: 150 ml
Sterile 0.9% Sodium Chloride Solution	Beijing SanYao Science & Technology Development Co.	15935S	Volume: 500 mL
Straight rod	DePuy Synthes Companies	1797-62-480	Length: 480 mm; diameter: 5.5 mm
Streptomycin sulfate, Powder	Beijing SanYao Science & Technology Development Co.	P06-11025P	Size: 1 g