Use of a percutaneous diskectomy device to facilitate the diagnosis of infectious spondylitis.

For evaluation of suspected infectious spondylitis, 19 consecutive patients underwent imaging-guided spine biopsy with needle aspiration and a percutaneous diskectomy device to determine if the diskectomy device provided diagnostic value. In 79% of cases, the diskectomy device yielded a specimen when needle aspiration failed. A significantly greater yield of specimen was observed with the diskectomy device, and >50% of cases with failed needle aspiration had biopsies positive for infection.