INTRODUCTION: Clinical symptoms in lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis (LDS) vary from predominantly radiating pain to severe mechanical low back pain. We examined whether the outcome of surgery for LDS varied depending on the predominant baseline symptom and the treatment administered [decompression with fusion (D&F) or decompression alone (D)]. METHODS: 213 consecutive patients (69 +/- 9 years; 155f, 58 m) participated. Inclusion criteria were LDS, maximum three affected levels, no previous surgery at the affected level, and D (N = 56) or D&F (N = 157) as the operative procedure. Pre-op and at 12 months’ follow-up (FU), patients completed the multidimensional Core Outcome Measures Index (COMI) including 0-10 leg-pain (LP) and LBP scales. At 12 months’ FU, patients rated global outcome which was then dichotomised into ‘good’ and ‘poor’. RESULTS: Pre-operatively, LBP and COMI scores were significantly worse (p < 0.05) in the D&F group than in the D group. The improvement in COMI at 12 months' FU was significantly greater for D&F than for D (p < 0.001) and was not influenced by the patient's declared 'main problem' at baseline (back pain, leg pain, or neurological disturbances) (p > 0.05). There was a higher proportion (p = 0.01) of ‘good’ outcomes at 12 months’ FU in D&F (86%) than in D (70%). Multiple regression analysis, controlling for possible confounders, revealed treatment group to be the only significant predictor of outcome (adding fusion = better outcome). DISCUSSION: Our study indicated that LDS patients showed better patient-based outcome with instrumented fusion and decompression than with decompression alone, regardless of baseline symptoms. This may be due to the fact that the underlying slippage as the cause of the stenosis is better addressed with fusion
Keywords : adverse effects,Aged,Aged,80 and over,analysis,Back Pain,complications,Decompression,Surgical,etiology,Female,Humans,Intervertebral Disc Degeneration,Leg,Low Back Pain,Male,methods,Middle Aged,Multivariate Analysis,Pain,Spinal Fusion,Spine,Spondylolisthesis,surgery,Treatment Outcome,, Fuse,Or,Not,Fuse, myofascial pain
Date of Publication : 2012 Feb
Authors : Kleinstueck FS;Fekete TF;Mannion AF;Grob D;Porchet F;Mutter U;Jeszenszky D;
Organisation : Spine Center, Schulthess Klinik, Lengghalde 2, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland. frank.kleinstueck@kws.ch
Journal of Publication : Eur Spine J
Pubmed Link : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21786174
The London Spine Unit : Harley Street UK. Specialists in Cutting Edge Technologies for Spinal Surgery
Trustpilot Reviews
Doctify Reviews
Top Doctor Reviews