Vertebral osteomyelitis or spondylodiscitis is 2-7% of osteomyelitis. Iatrogenic spondylodiscitis accounts for 1-11%. Common organism is Staphylococcus aureus and usually the mean time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis has been reported to range from 8 weeks to 3 months. Worsening back pain with reduced spinal ROM is sine qua non on iatrogenic spondylodiscitis.  CRP and ESR are most important prognostic factors of treatment. In this report I present three cases one which started florid infections and its signs and symptoms much later than documented times after operation, one who developed post procedural discitis by an atypical bacteria without any definite cause of it to do it, one with indolent tunneling infection of the vertebral body after minimally invasive discectomy without any considerable alteration in clinical functioning but with alteration radiologically and biochemically.

Keywords: Iatrogenic spondylodiscitis; Staphylococcus aureus; CRP; ESR;  late infection; atypical bacteria; tunneling infection.

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Dr Suhasish Roy

Spine Surgeon, Bellevue Clinic, Kolkata