[Needle puncture of the intervertebral disk foci in the bacteriological diagnosis of infectious spondylodiscitis. Technic and results].

Clinical, laboratory, and radiological data do not make possible a certain diagnosis of infectious spondylitis: errors are thus possible, even frequent, and are harmful to the patient. In order to ensure a certain diagnosis and to avoid exploratory surgery as far as possible, the authors propose systematic needle puncture of the inververtebral disk--a technique that is simple and inoffensive to carry out in all disks below T4, and that, in a series of 18 cases, gave a success rate of 2 out of 3 (11 positive results). The technique, the results and the factors essential for success are described and analysed.