Vertebral Osteomyelitis: Long‐Term Outcome for 253 Patients from 7 Cleveland‐Area Hospitals

We report a retrospective study of 253 patients with vertebral osteomyelitis (VO) who had long-term follow-up. Eleven percent of the patients died, residual disability occurred in more than one-third of the survivors, and relapse occurred in 14%. Median duration of follow-up was 6.5 years (range, 2 days to 38 years). Independent risk factors for adverse outcome (death or qualified recovery) were neurologic compromise, time to diagnosis, and hospital acquisition of infection (P

• CC
  Cleveland Clinic
• SL
  Saint Luke's Health System