Endoscopic Retroperitoneal Debridement Combined with Posterior Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Fixation for Lumbar Infectious Spondylodiscitis - Retrospective Study and Preliminary Results

Q: What is the study objective for lumbar infectious spondylodiscitis?

To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and preliminary efficacy of combining endoscopic retroperitoneal debridement with posterior percutaneous pedicle screw fixation.

Q: What patient outcomes were measured in the retrospective study?

Operative time, blood loss, lesion clearance, inflammatory markers (CRP/ESR), complication rates, VAS back pain, ODI disability, kyphotic angle changes, and radiological fusion outcomes.

Q: What were the main results regarding clinical symptoms and inflammation?

Of 30 patients, 28 showed improved clinical symptoms. VAS and ODI improved significantly, and postoperative inflammatory markers decreased compared with preoperative levels.

Sep 29, 2026

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Retrospective clinical evaluation of endoscopic retroperitoneal debridement combined with posterior percutaneous pedicle screw fixation for lumbar infectious spondylodiscitis. Patients treated between June 2023 and June 2024 had baseline characteristics, operative metrics, lesion clearance, inflammatory markers (CRP/ESR), complication rates, and pain/disability scores (VAS, ODI). Follow-up assessed kyphotic angle changes and imaging outcomes for fusion and infection control. Most patients improved symptomatically with reduced pain, disability, and inflammatory indices, low recurrence, and no observed spinal instability.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Introduction

Journal of Inflammation Research Open Access Full Text Article ORIGINAL RESEARCH Endoscopic Retroperitoneal Debridement Combined with Posterior Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Fixation for Lumbar Infectious Spondylodiscitis: A Retrospective Study and Preliminary Results Yongrui Yang, Wenkai Ruan, Jianlong Li, Rongpan Dang, Huigang An, Wentao Zhao, Liang Xu, Hongdong Tan Department of Orthopedics, Shandong Public Health Clinical Center, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250013, People’s Republic of China Correspondence: Hongdong Tan, [Email Tanhd_1218@163.com](Email Tanhd_1218@163.com) | Background: Lumbar infectious spondylodiscitis is a severe spinal condition traditionally managed with antibiotics, though some patients require surgical intervention. The heterogeneity in infection sites, causative pathogens, and clinical presentations leads to significant variability in surgical approaches, and optimal surgical strategies remain controversial. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and preliminary efficacy of endoscopic retroperitoneal debridement combined with posterior percutaneous pediclescrew fixation for the treatment of lumbar infectious spondylodiscitis.
Methods: This retrospective study analyzed patients diagnosed with lumbar infectious spondylodiscitis and treated with endoscopic retroperitoneal debridement at our institution from June 2023 to June 2024. Baseline patient characteristics, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative lesion clearance, changes in inflammatory markers (eg, C-reactive protein[CRP] and erythrocyte sedimentation rate[ESR]), complication rates, Visual analog scale (VAS) scores for back pain, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores, kyphotic angle changes at the infected level, and radiological follow-up outcomes were recorded.
Results: Of the 30 patients, 28 (28/30, 93.33%) showed improvement in clinical symptoms. During follow-up, all patients demonstrated significant improvements in VAS scores and ODI scores compared to preoperative values (p<0.05) . At the final follow-up, all patients exhibited a kyphotic angle change of less than 8°, and no spinal instability was observed. Computed tomography (CT) at the 12-month follow-up demonstrated intervertebral bone fusion in 27 cases (27/29, 93.10%). Postoperative inflammatory markers showed improved compared with preoperative levels (p<0.001) . No infection recurrence or serious surgery-related complications were observed during the postoperative follow-up period.
Conclusion: Endoscopic retroperitoneal debridement combined with posterior percutaneous pedicle screw fixation appears to bea safe and effective minimally invasive approach for treating lumbar infectious spondylodiscitis. However, long-term efficacy requires further validation through prospective studies with larger sample sizes and extended follow-up periods.
Keywords: endoscopic retroperitoneal debridement, lumbar infectious spondylodiscitis, endoscopic technology, minimally invasive surgery | | --- | | Introduction
Lumbar infectious spondylodiscitis, encompassing conditions such as discitis, vertebral osteomyelitis, and spinal abscesses, pose significant challenges in clinical management due to their potential for severe morbidity and functional impairment. The primary hurdles in treating these infections include difficulties in identifying causative pathogens, inadequate infection control, and the risk of complications such as neurological deficits or spinal instability.1,2 | Received: 28 October 2025 Accepted: 15 December 2025 Published: 31 December 2025 Journal of Inflammation Research 2025:18 18331–18342 18331 © 2025 Yang et al. This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at [https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php](https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php) and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v4.0) License ([http://cr

FAQs

What is the study objective for lumbar infectious spondylodiscitis?

To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and preliminary efficacy of combining endoscopic retroperitoneal debridement with posterior percutaneous pedicle screw fixation.

What patient outcomes were measured in the retrospective study?

Operative time, blood loss, lesion clearance, inflammatory markers (CRP/ESR), complication rates, VAS back pain, ODI disability, kyphotic angle changes, and radiological fusion outcomes.

What were the main results regarding clinical symptoms and inflammation?

Of 30 patients, 28 showed improved clinical symptoms. VAS and ODI improved significantly, and postoperative inflammatory markers decreased compared with preoperative levels.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by WPS_1786070896