Special Issue “Spinal Infection”

The idea of publishing special issues on “hot topics” twice a year was born at the end of the last decade. However, this plan turned out to be too ambitious. Collecting high-quality manuscripts with a specific focus requires more time than only a few months. The first special issue on “brain mapping” was published in March 2020. This was followed by a special issue on “intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring” in July 2021. For these two issues, well-known experts in the field were invited to share their latest research results with the readers of the “Central European Neurosurgery/Journal of Neurological Surgery – Part A.” Spinal infection had already been identified as another “hot topic” during this time. The incidence of spinal infections, especially the incidence of spondylodiskitis, increased steadily over the last two decades. This was probably linked to the aging population with more comorbidities and the popularity of injection therapies in the management of back pain. The increase in the incidence of spinal infections was followed by the intensification of mostly clinical research in this field, making the task of the guest editors to put together a special issue on spinal infections easier. They could select the best manuscripts on the topic submitted to the “Central European Neurosurgery/Journal of Neurological Surgery – Part A,” garnished by a few invited papers. This special issue, the fruit of more than a year's work, which includes original contributions, a review, and educative case reports, covers many aspects of spinal infections and reflects the research trends in this field. I hope that the issue gives you new insights, has the potential to influence your daily clinical practice, and stimulates your research plans.

Publication History

Article published online:
05 January 2023