Evidence for infection in intervertebral disc degeneration: a systematic review.
Isabelle Granville SmithNathan P DanckertMaxim B FreidinPhilippa M WellsJulian R MarchesiFrances M K WilliamsPublished in: European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society (2021)
Evidence to date implicates C. acnes identified through culture, microscopy and sequencing, with some suggestion of diverse bacterial colonisation in the disc. This review found studies which used culture methods and conventional PCR for bacterial detection. Further agnostic investigation using newer methods should be undertaken.