Prognostic factors for surgical site infection in patients with spinal metastases and following surgical treatment

There were few articles reviewed prognostic factors of surgical site infection (SSI) in patients with spinal metastases following surgery. The purpose of the present study was to systematically: (1) investigate the incidence rates of SSI following spinal metastases surgery; (2) identify the factors which were independently associated with postoperative wound infection. One hundred sixty-seven consecutive adult patients with spinal metastases and underwent surgical treatment were retrospectively enrolled from January 2011 to February 2022. Demographic data, disease and operation-related indicators were extracted and analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic analysis model were performed respectively to determine independent risk factors of SSI. 17 cases infection were collected in this study. The overall incidence of SSI after surgery of spinal metastases patients was 10.2%. Univariate regression analysis showed that age ( P = .028), preoperative ALB level ( P = .024), operation time ( P = .041), intraoperative blood loss ( P = .030), Karnofsky Performance Status score ( P = .000), body mass index ( P = .013), American Society of Anesthesiologists > 2 ( P = .010), Tobacco consumption ( P = .035), and number of spinal levels involved in surgical procedure ( P = .007) were associated with wound infection. Finally, the multivariate logistic model demonstrated that body mass index ( P = .043; OR = 1.038), preoperative ALB level ( P = .018; OR = 1.124), and number of spinal levels ( P = .003; OR = 1.753) were associated with SSI occurrence. Surgery on multiple vertebral levels for spinal metastases significantly increases the risk of SSI and weight management, nutritional support and palliative surgery have the positive significance in reducing wound complications. Orthopedist should focus on identifying such high-risk patients and decrease the incidence of wound infection by formulating comprehensive and multi-disciplinary care strategy.