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What are bacterial infections of the spine?
Bacterial infections of the spine are rare but can include infection of:
- The discs (discitis).
- The spinal cord (usually an infection of the tissue covering the spinal cord, called an epidural abscess).
- One or more vertebrae (osteomyelitis).
- The facet joints, which may be the site of infectious arthritis.
Bacteria that infect the spine usually start in other parts of the body. They are carried to the spine through the bloodstream. But bacteria can enter the spine directly during surgery or injection treatments or as the result of an injury or I.V. drug use.
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