Prophylactic antibiotics for spine surgery: description of a regimen and its rationale.

Cefazolin, an antibiotic commonly used for surgical prophylaxis, may not adequately penetrate the intervertebral disk or cerebrospinal fluid. The combination of gentamicin and cefuroxime has been found to penetrate both structures in adequate levels and was used in 40 consecutive elective spine cases without a postoperative infection or antibiotic-related complications.