Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of percutaneous endoscopic debridement and drainage for non-specific lumbar intervertebral infection. Methods A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 17 non-specific lumbar intervertebral infection patients admitted to our department from September 2016 to September 2019. There were 11 males and 6 females, aged 51-82 years, with an average age of (66.9±9.4) years. The operative segments were distributed at L2/3 in 3 patients, L3/4 in 4, L4/5 in 7, and L5/S1 in 3 patients. After operation, anti-infective treatment was conducted according to results of pathology, tissue culture and genetic testing. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were monitored to evaluate the condition of infection control. Clinical efficacy was evaluated by visual analogue score (VAS), modified Oswestry dysfunction index (ODI). Results All the operations were successfully completed. The operation time was 50-92 minutes, with a mean time (70.9±12.3) minutes. The intraoperative blood loss was 21-52 ml, with a mean amount of (35.2±9.8) minutes. At the last follow-up, ESR, CRP, VAS and the modified ODI were significantly decreased compared with the preoperative value（P<0.05）. 17 patients were followed up for 12-30 months, with a mean time (20.9±5.8) months. During the period, MRI showed that the infection was well controlled without recurrence. Conclusions For non-specific lumbar intervertebral infection, percutaneous endoscopic debridement and drainage was clinically effective, especially for the elderly patients with multiple complications and poor physical conditions.