Abstract
Objectives
This study analyzed the clinical and radiographic results of the posterior lumbar interbody fusion performed on patients 50–65 and >7-years-of-age suffering from degenerative lumbar disease.
Literature Review Summary
Several studies on posterior lumbar interbody fusion performed on patients aged about 65 years reported insignificant age-related differences in the spinal-fusion results.
Materials and Methods
The records of 121 patients with degenerative lumbar disease treated with posterior lumbar interbody fusion between 2004 and 2010 were assessed. The patients’ clinical results, visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, Oswestry disability index (ODI) values, and complications before and after the surgery were compared. The radiographic results and changes in the fusion segmental angle before and after the surgery as well as in the height of the posterior intervertebral disc were also compared.
Results
In group A, comprising 44 patients >70-years-of-age, followup duration and number of comorbidities were 73.3 years and 17.8 months, respectively. In group B, comprising 77 patients 50–65-years-of-age, followup duration and number of comorbidities were 58.8 years and 31.8 months, respectively. In both groups, the average VAS scores and ODI values decreased. The incidence rate of vertebra-related postoperative complications was 13.6% in group A and 9.0% in group B. The incidence rate of general complications unrelated to the vertebra, was 18.1% in group A and 9.0% in group B.
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