Disc space infection and vertebral osteomyelitis as a complication of percutaneous lateral discectomy.

Percutaneous lateral discectomy (PLD) in a 32-year-old man was followed by postoperative disc space infection and adjacent vertebral osteomyelitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus. The simplicity and decreased morbidity associated with PLD may be offset by severe infections. The small incision made in the annulus during PLD may not allow adequate drainage in the case of infection and may subsequently direct the infective process to the adjacent vertebral endplates. Meticulous aseptic technique, and possibly the use of prophylactic antibiotic therapy, is important in PLD.