Use of vancomycin powder reduced infection rates in spinal fusion

O’Neill KR. Spine J. 2011. doi:10.1016/j.spinee.2011.04.025.

The incidence of infection in patients with traumatic spine injury who undergo instrumented posterior spine fusion may be reduced through the use of vancomycin powder, according to this study from Vanderbilt University researchers.

The team performed a retrospective review of 110 patients who underwent instrumented posterior spine fusions for traumatic spine injuries during a 2-year period. The treatment group (n=54) received vancomycin powder in their surgical wounds as well as systemic prophylaxis, while the control group (n=56) received only standard systemic prophylaxis.

Data on history of previous spine surgeries, diabetes, substance use, body mass index, operative time, estimated blood loss, level of injury and presence of neurologic deficit were obtained by the research team. The primary study outcome was the incidence of infection.

The researchers found the control and treatment groups to be statistically similar, but noted a statistically significant difference in infection rate between the groups. They found an infection rate of 0% in the treatment group vs. 13% in the control group. No adverse events were reported.

“Applying vancomycin powder to surgical wounds is a promising means of preventing costly and harmful postoperative wound infections in high-risk populations,” the researchers wrote.

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