The impact of osteoporosis on the clinical efficacy of short-segment transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion in elderly patients / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the impact of osteoporosis on clinical outcomes in elderly patients treated with short segment transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion.Methods:From May 2016 to May 2018, elderly patients who had undergone transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion(TLIF)in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed.Based on bone mineral density(BMD), patients were divided into the osteoporosis group(the OP group, n=75, T≤-2.5 in BMD)and the control group(the CO group, n=103, T>-1.0 in BMD). General patient information, clinical data and postoperative follow-up clinical results were compared between the two groups.Results:Eventually 178 cases were enrolled, including 68 with lumbar disc herniation and 110 with lumbar spinal stenosis.Preoperative Visual Analogue Scale(VAS)scores were 7.35±1.30 in the lower back and 7.32±1.30 in the leg for the OP group and 7.35±1.33 and 7.22±1.40, respectively, for the CO group, and there was no significant difference between the two groups( t=0.140 and 0.468, P=0.989 and 0.640). The proportions of cage collapse and internal fixation loosening were 70.7%(53/75)and 37.3%(28/75)in the OP group, which were higher than 22.3%(23/103)and 14.6%(15/103)in the CO group( χ2=41.440 and 12.280, both P=0.000). However, there was no significant difference between the OP group and the CO group in 1-and 2-year postoperative interbody fusion rates(postoperative 1-year rate 89.3% or 67/75 vs.91.3% or 94/103, χ2=0.187, P=0.666; postoperative 2 year rate 94.6% or 71/75 vs.95.1% or 98/103), χ2=0.021, P=0.885). There was no significant difference in VAS score and Oswestry disability index(ODI) between the OP group and the CO group at 6 months, 1 year and 2 years after surgery(all P>0.05). Conclusions:Although there are some osteoporosis-related complications such as cage subsidence and screw loosening, short-segment TLIF can still achieve good clinical results in elderly patients with osteoporosis.