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Surgical treatment beneficial for elderly patients with lumbar stenosis, spondylolisthesis
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NEW ORLEANS — Patients 80 years and older displayed better health outcomes from surgical treatment of lumbar stenosis and degenerative spondylolisthesis than with non-operative treatment, according to a presenter here.
Jeffrey A. Rihn, MD, and colleagues performed an as-treated analysis of patients enrolled in the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial for lumbar stenosis and degenerative spondylolisthesis. Patients 80 years or older and received surgical treatment were compared with patients younger than 80 years old. The researchers measured clinical outcomes at baseline and at regular follow-up intervals for up to 4 years.
No differences in the primary or secondary patient-reported clinical outcomes were reported at baseline.
At 4-year follow-up, patients older than 80 years of age who opted for surgery had significantly better improvements from baseline for all primary and secondary outcome measures compared with patients who received non-operative treatment, according to the researchers.
Additionally, patients older than 80 years had no difference in intra- or postoperative complications or reoperation rates compared with patients younger than 80 years.
Reference: Rihn JA. Paper #822. Presented at: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting; March 11-15, 2014; New Orleans.
Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.