Outcome assessment in spinal infections.

The importance of outcome studies in patients undergoing spinal surgery is discussed. There are numerous questionnaires used to assess quality of life results in orthopedic patients. This suggests disagreement and difficulty in the assessing and comparing outcomes. Several of these instruments for assessing outcome are reviewed. Postoperative spinal infection can prolong a patients recovery from spinal surgery and exacerbate symptoms of lower back pain. A review of the authors' patients at 3 years follow-up suggests that outcome with postoperative infections was similar to other patients with low back pain undergoing fusion without postoperative infectious complications.