Table 2 Patient demographics and clinical characteristics

Patient demographics

Age

65.4 ± 17.2

65.9 ± 9.5

0.918

Male

37.5% (5)

87.5% (14)

0.007*

Height

155.8 ± 9.5

164.3 ± 7.6

0.010*

Weight

54.4 ± 8.2

56.0 ± 11.2

0.655

BMI

22.4 ± 2.9

20.6 ± 3.5

0.154

Mean number of co-morbidities

1.2 ± 0.8

2.2 ± 1.1

0.011*

Diabetes mellitus

21.4% (3)

37.5% (6)

0.338

Heart disease

14.3% (2)

6.3% (1)

0.586

Respiratory disease

7.1% (1)

6.3% (1)

0.922

Liver disease

21.4% (3)

6.3% (1)

0.315

Urinary tract infection

7.1% (1)

6.3% (1)

0.922

Hemodialysis

7.1% (1)

6.3% (1)

0.922

Malignancy

14.3% (2)

37.5% (6)

0.226

Use steroids

14.3% (2)

18.8% (3)

0.743

Chemotherapy

0% (0)

18.8% (3)

0.228

Post-surgical states

14.3% (2)

56.3% (9)

0.026*

Clinical characteristics

Pain

100% (14)

93.8% (15)

0.467

Fever (>38°C)

64.3% (9)

50% (8)

0.484

Neurological deficit

50% (7)

50% (8)

1.000

Septic shock

21.4% (3)

43.8% (7)

0.260

Kulowski classification: acute type

57.1% (8)

62.5% (10)

0.284

Number of vertebral body infected

2.3 ± 0.8

2.2 ± 0.7

0.719

Localization of vertebral body infected

  Cervical

35.7% (5)

18.8% (3)

  Thoracic

28.6% (4)

37.5% (6)

  Lumber

35.7% (5)

43.8% (7)

0.721

X-ray: Griffiths classification

  (Destructive and osteosclerotic stage)

78.6% (11)

87.5% (14)

0.642

MRI: presence of abscess

85.7% (12)

62.5% (10)

0.226

WBC mean (x 10³/ul)

12.6 ± 6.0

12.2 ± 5.4

0.847

CRP mean (mg/dl)

15.4 ± 9.3

15.8 ± 12.9

0.919

Albumin mean (g/dl)

2.7 ± 0.6

3.0 ± 0.5

0.217