J Korean Orthop Assoc.  2012 Oct;47(5):330-336. 10.4055/jkoa.2012.47.5.330.

Clinical Results of Lumbar Spinal Fusion in Degenerative Spine Disease in Patients over 75 Years Old: Comparative Study of Patients over 65 Years Old and Patients less than 75 Years Old

• Cho KJ
• Park SR
• Park MJ

• KMID: 2185316
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4055/jkoa.2012.47.5.330

Abstract

PURPOSE
The elderly patients have been known for high incidence of postoperative complications following a lumbar fusion surgery. This study was conducted to determine the results of clinical outcomes after a lumbar fusion surgery in patients older than 75 years and to compare with those in patients between 65 and 74 years old.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
One hundred twenty-five patients who underwent lumbar fusion were enrolled. The mean follow-up was 22.5+/-15.7 months. Preoperative diagnosis was spinal stenosis in 113 patients and degenerative spondylolisthesis in 12 patients. Revision surgery or multi-level spinal fusion (>4 segments) was excluded. There were 27 patients in group A (>75 years) and 98 patients in group B (65-74 years). Preoperative American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores, visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), postoperative complications, and bone union rate were compared.
RESULTS
The mean age was 78.6 years and 68.8 years in Group A and Group B, respectively. The mean preoperative ASA score was statistically different between group A and group B (p=0.025). The mean bone mineral density T score in group A was higher than that in group B (p=0.002). The mean VAS did not show a difference between the groups (p=0.171). There was no difference in the mean ODI between the groups in the improvement of VAS and ODI. The major and minor complications of early complications and late complications were observed without any statistical difference.
CONCLUSION
Although preoperative ASA score was higher and osteoporosis was severe in the elderly patients (>75 years old), the improvement of clinical outcome was satisfactory as much as younger patients (65-74 years old) following a lumbar fusion surgery for degenerative spinal disease.

Keyword

aged; over 75 years old; complication; clinical result; lumbar spinal fusion

MeSH Terms

Aged
Bone Density
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Incidence
Osteoporosis
Postoperative Complications
Spinal Diseases
Spinal Fusion
Spinal Stenosis
Spine
Spondylolisthesis

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