Clinical Complexity in Native Vertebral Osteomyelitis: Exploring the Role of Rurality—A Retrospective Cohort Study
4 affiliations
- 1Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca, Calle Compañía, 5, 37002 Salamanca, Spain
- 2Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- 3Servicio de Cirugía Ortopédica y Traumatología, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- 4Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain
Abstract
Introduction: Native vertebral osteomyelitis (NVO) is an uncommon infection whose nonspecific presentation frequently delays diagnosis and treatment. Rurality is a potentially relevant but under-researched factor. This study aimed to identify factors independently associated with NVO-related complications at admission, with particular emphasis on rurality, and to describe the cohort’s clinical, etiological, and therapeutic profile. Material and Methods: We conducted an observational, retrospective cohort study of 67 consecutive adults with NVO admitted to the University Hospital of Salamanca between 2018 and 2023. Rurality was defined by primary healthcare zone of residence; nursing home residents formed a separate group. The primary outcome was the presence of at least one NVO-related complication at admission. A multivariable logistic regression model including age, sex, rurality, and multimorbidity was fitted, followed by two sensitivity analyses. Results: NVO-related complications occurred in 56.7% of patients and were more frequent among rural than non-rural patients (73.1% vs. 46.3%; p = 0.031). In the multivariable analysis, rurality (aOR = 4.88; 95% CI, 1.44–16.47; p = 0.011) and multimorbidity (aOR = 3.42; 95% CI, 1.00–11.65; p = 0.049) were independently associated with complications. The association between rurality and NVO-related complications remained consistent across both sensitivity analyses, although its magnitude was imprecise. Conclusions: Rurality may represent a relevant factor in the clinical course of NVO. Further investigation is required.
Related
- Temporal trends in incidence, clinical characteristics and outcomes of pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis in Southern Denmark from 2009 to 2022: a retrospective population-based cohort study.
- Hematogenous vertebral osteomyelitis caused by vaginal microbiota: metagenomic resolution of a polymicrobial anaerobic case
- Short-term clinical and radiographic outcomes of unilateral biportal endoscopic decompressive laminectomy for lumbar spinal stenosis with mild-to-moderate vertebral rotation: a retrospective study
- Procedural Complications and Implant Cutout of the SpineJack®-System in Thoracolumbar Vertebral Fractures: A Retrospective Analysis of 204 Implants from a Level-1 Trauma Center
- Reliability of the L3 Transverse Process as a Landmark for Lumbar Spine Enumeration Across Different Vertebral Segmentation Patterns: A Retrospective CT Study
BibTeX
@article{briz2026clinical,
title = {{Clinical Complexity in Native Vertebral Osteomyelitis: Exploring the Role of Rurality—A Retrospective Cohort Study}},
author = {David Briz and Kimberly Rodríguez and Carmen da Casa and Samuel Gil and Guillermo García and Javier Pérez and Juan F. Blanco},
journal = {Journal of Clinical Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/jcm15218455},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/21/8455},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Clinical Complexity in Native Vertebral Osteomyelitis: Exploring the Role of Rurality—A Retrospective Cohort Study
AU - David Briz
AU - Kimberly Rodríguez
AU - Carmen da Casa
AU - Samuel Gil
AU - Guillermo García
AU - Javier Pérez
AU - Juan F. Blanco
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Journal of Clinical Medicine
DO - 10.3390/jcm15218455
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/21/8455
AB - Introduction: Native vertebral osteomyelitis (NVO) is an uncommon infection whose nonspecific presentation frequently delays diagnosis and treatment. Rurality is a potentially relevant but under-researched factor. This study aimed to identify factors independently associated with NVO-related complications at admission, with particular emphasis on rurality, and to describe the cohort’s clinical, etiological, and therapeutic profile. Material and Methods: We conducted an observational, retrospective cohort study of 67 consecutive adults with NVO admitted to the University Hospital of Salamanca between 2018 and 2023. Rurality was defined by primary healthcare zone of residence; nursing home residents formed a separate group. The primary outcome was the presence of at least one NVO-related complication at admission. A multivariable logistic regression model including age, sex, rurality, and multimorbidity was fitted, followed by two sensitivity analyses. Results: NVO-related complications occurred in 56.7% of patients and were more frequent among rural than non-rural patients (73.1% vs. 46.3%; p = 0.031). In the multivariable analysis, rurality (aOR = 4.88; 95% CI, 1.44–16.47; p = 0.011) and multimorbidity (aOR = 3.42; 95% CI, 1.00–11.65; p = 0.049) were independently associated with complications. The association between rurality and NVO-related complications remained consistent across both sensitivity analyses, although its magnitude was imprecise. Conclusions: Rurality may represent a relevant factor in the clinical course of NVO. Further investigation is required.
SN - 2077-0383
ER -