The Finnish spine register (FinSpine): development, design, validation and utility.

PURPOSE: Our aim was to develop a nationwide, computer-based, Spine Register (FinSpine) for monitoring surgical activity, quality of surgery, long-term outcomes, and effectiveness of treatment. In this paper, we describe our experiences in the development and implementation of the register. METHODS: The register was developed by a steering group, consisting of orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons from the whole country. We strived to develop a register which would be in active use by spine surgeons and enable collection of Patient Reported Outcome and Experience Measures (PROMs and PREMs) automatically and prospectively. We are actively promoting the use of the register in order to gain a nationwide coverage and achieve high response-rates from both surgeons and patients. RESULTS: The use of FinSpine started in 2016 and it has been granted continuous funding from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare from the 1st of January 2023 onwards. Currently the register is used by 19/23 (83%) public hospitals and the use is expanding to private hospitals as well. The response-rate of surgeons is currently 80%. The response-rate of patients is on average 56% but reaches up to 90% in hospitals using register-coordinators. CONCLUSION: The use of FinSpine is increasing. By gaining a larger coverage and completeness, the data can be used for research purposes which we believe will influence decision making and ultimately improve the outcomes and quality of life of the patients. Comparison with other national spine registers is possible, since FinSpine includes similar baseline characteristics and outcome measures (e.g., ODI, EQ-5D, VAS).

Incidence and risk factors of spinal cord stimulation for persistent or recurrent pain after lumbar spine surgery: a population-based study.

PURPOSE: This study aims to elucidate the incidence of and independent risk factors for spinal cord stimulator implantations for patients who underwent lumbar spine surgery. METHODS: The PERFormance, Effectiveness, and Cost of Treatment (PERFECT) episodes database, which was established for selected diseases and procedures in Finland, includes all patients who underwent lumbar spine surgery for degenerative spine conditions or spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in Finland from 1986 to 2018. The data on age, sex, hospital diagnoses, surgical procedures, and causes of death were imported from the Finnish national registers into the PERFECT database. RESULTS: Between 1986 and 2018, 157,824 patients had their first lumbar spine procedure and for 1769 (1.1%) of them, a subsequent SCS procedure was observed during the follow-up. The cumulative incidence of SCS for persistent or recurrent pain after lumbar disk herniation, spinal stenosis, degenerative disk disease, and spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis surgery at 15 years was 1.2%, 1.0%, 2.7%, and 2.6% respectively. At 15 years, the cumulative incidence of SCS for persistent or recurrent pain after lumbar spine surgery after five or more lumbar spinal operations was 11.9%. CONCLUSION: Repeated surgery was the most prominent significant risk factor for SCS for persistent or recurrent pain after lumbar spine surgery. The risk of SCS for persistent or recurrent pain after lumbar spine surgery increases significantly along with the number of lumbar spine procedures. When considering repeated lumbar spine surgery, careful evaluation of treatment options should take place to ensure good patient outcomes.

Surgery for degenerative cervical spine disease in Finland, 1999-2015.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of surgery for degenerative cervical spine disease (DCSD) has risen by almost 150% in the USA in the last three decades and stabilized at slightly over 70 operations/100,000 people. There has been significant regional variation in the operation incidences. We aim to assess the diagnosis-based, age-adjusted trends in the operation incidences and the regional variation in Finland between 1999 and 2015. METHODS: Data from the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register (FHDR), the Cause of Death Register, and the registers of the Social Insurance Institution were combined to analyze all the primary operations for DCSD or rheumatoid atlanto-axial subluxation (rAAS). Combinations of the operative and the diagnosis codes were used to classify the patients into five diagnostic groups. RESULTS: A total of 19,701 primary operations were included. The age-adjusted operation incidence rose from 21.0 to 36.5/100,000 people between 1999 and 2013 and plateaued thereafter. The incidence of surgery for radiculopathy increased from 13.1 to 23.3 operations/100,000 people, and the incidence of surgery for DCM increased from 5.8 to 7.0 operations/100,000 people. The rise was especially pronounced in surgery for foraminal stenosis, which increased from 5.3 to 12.4 operations/100,000 people. Of the five diagnostic groups, only operations for rAAS declined. Operations increased especially in the 40- to 65-year-old age group. The overall operation incidences varied from 18.3 to 43.1 operations/100,000 people between the university hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: The age-adjusted incidence of surgery for DCSD has risen in Finland by 76%, but the rise has plateaued. Surgery for radiculopathy, especially for foraminal stenosis, increased more steeply than surgery for degenerative medullopathy, with vast regional differences in the operation incidences.

Mortality Caused by Surgery for Degenerative Lumbar Spine.

STUDY DESIGN: Register study. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the safety of lumbar spine surgery for degenerative disorders and to assess the predictive factors for mortality and causes of death. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Growing numbers and relative indications of spine surgery emphasize the importance of patient safety. We assessed the incidence of mortality related to surgery, overall case fatality and factors predicting mortality in elective spinal surgery. METHODS: A national database was utilized to assess patient characteristics, surgical procedures, and outcomes of degenerative spinal surgery in Finland. Patients were classified into four diagnostic categories: disc herniation, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis. The mortality related to surgery and overall mortality in each diagnostic group was analyzed at 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, and 1 year after surgery. We categorized the deaths into medical errors, sequelae of surgery, surgery probably a contributing factor, and deaths not associated with surgery. Age, sex, comorbid conditions, and hospital characteristics were considered as potential risk factors for mortality. RESULTS: Out of 408 deaths (0.67% of total of 61,166 patients) deaths that occurred during the 1-year follow up, 49 deaths (12% of deaths, 0.08% of patients) were classified as having an association with surgery: two deaths by medical errors, 28 deaths by complications after surgery and 19 deaths related to the surgery. The surgery-related 1-year mortality was 0.08%. Age >75 years, male sex, diabetes, and hypertension showed an association with increased risk of death related to surgery. CONCLUSION: Mortality caused by elective spinal surgery is rare. Cardiovascular incidents are the most common reasons for deaths occurring soon after surgery. Consideration of expected gains and risks of surgery, prevention of unintended errors during surgery and recognition and treatment of complications once they occur are recommended. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.

[Update on Current Care Guideline: Low back pain]. / Alaselkäkipu.

Classification to severe diseases, sciatic symptoms or non-specific back pain is recommended. Radiography in acute or subacute non-specific back pain is not recommended in the primary health care. In specialized care magnetic resonance imaging is the main imaging modality. Importance of patient information is emphasized. In acute non-specific pain avoidance of bed rest, advice and paracetamol are recommended. Indications for an emergency referral should be considered. In disabling pain for 6 weeks, multidisciplinary measures are needed. Pain over 3 months indicates intensive multidisciplinary rehabilitation, and also surgery may be considered.