Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Predictors of surgical, general and follow-up complications in lumbar spinal stenosis relative to patient age as emerged from the Spine Tango Registry

  • Original Article
  • Published:
European Spine Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

Published opinions regarding the outcomes and complications in older patients have a broad spectrum and there is a disagreement whether surgery in older patients entails a higher risk. Therefore this study examines the risk of surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis relative to age in the pooled data set of the Spine Tango registry.

Materials and methods

Between May 2005 and February 2010 the database query resulted in 1,764 patients. The patients were subdivided into three socio-economically relevant age groups: <65 years, 65–74 years, ≥75 years. Frequencies for occurred surgical, general and follow-up complications were assessed. Multivariate and univariate logistic regressions were performed to reveal predictors for respective complication types.

Results and discussion

Our study found that age, ASA status and blood loss were significant co-varieties for the occurrence of general complications. The risk of general complications is increased in older versus younger patients. Fusion or rigid stabilization does not lead to more complications. Surgical complications as well as complication rates at follow-up showed no significant age-related variation. Physician-based outcome was good or excellent in over 80% of patients in all age groups.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Arden NK, Price C, Reading I, Stubbing J, Hazelgrove J, Dunne C, Michel M, Rogers P, Cooper C (2005) A multicentre randomized controlled trial of epidural corticosteroid injections for sciatica: the WEST study. Rheumatology (Oxford, England) 44:1399–1406

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Carreon LY, Puno RM, Dimar JR 2nd, Glassman SD, Johnson JR (2003) Perioperative complications of posterior lumbar decompression and arthrodesis in older adults. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 85-A:2089–2092

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Cassinelli EH, Eubanks J, Vogt M, Furey C, Yoo J, Bohlman HH (2007) Risk factors for the development of perioperative complications in elderly patients undergoing lumbar decompression and arthrodesis for spinal stenosis: an analysis of 166 patients. Spine 32:230–235

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Ciol MA, Deyo RA, Howell E, Kreif S (1996) An assessment of surgery for spinal stenosis: time trends, geographic variations, complications, and reoperations. J Am Geriatr Soc 44:285–290

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Cloyd JM, Acosta FL Jr, Ames CP (2008) Complications and outcomes of lumbar spine surgery in elderly people: a review of the literature. J Am Geriatr Soc 56:1318–1327

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Daubs MD, Lenke LG, Cheh G, Stobbs G, Bridwell KH (2007) Adult spinal deformity surgery: complications and outcomes in patients over age 60. Spine 32:2238–2244

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Deyo RA, Cherkin DC, Loeser JD, Bigos SJ, Ciol MA (1992) Morbidity and mortality in association with operations on the lumbar spine: the influence of age, diagnosis, and procedure. J Bone Joint Surg 74:536–543

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Deyo RA, Mirza SK (2006) Trends and variations in the use of spine surgery. Clin Orthop Relat Res 443:139–146

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Guralnik JM, Ferrucci L, Simonsick EM, Salive ME, Wallace RB (1995) Lower-extremity function in persons over the age of 70 years as a predictor of subsequent disability. N Engl J Med 332:556–561

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Jonsson B, Annertz M, Sjoberg C, Stromqvist B (1997) A prospective and consecutive study of surgically treated lumbar spinal stenosis. Part II: five-year follow-up by an independent observer. Spine 22:2938–2944

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Katz JN (1995) Lumbar spinal fusion: surgical rates, costs, and complications. Spine 20:78S–83S

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Kilincer C, Steinmetz MP, Sohn MJ, Benzel EC, Bingaman W (2005) Effects of age on the perioperative characteristics and short-term outcome of posterior lumbar fusion surgery. J Neurosurg Spine 3:34–39

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Malter AD, McNeney B, Loeser JD, Deyo RA (1998) 5-year reoperation rates after different types of lumbar spine surgery. Spine 23:814–820

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Martin BI, Mirza SK, Comstock BA, Gray DT, Kreuter W, Deyo RA (2007) Are lumbar spine reoperation rates falling with greater use of fusion surgery and new surgical technology? Spine 32:2119–2126

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Melloh M, Staub L, Aghayev E, Zweig T, Barz T, Theis JC, Chavanne A, Grob D, Aebi M, Roeder C (2008) The international spine registry SPINE TANGO: status quo and first results. Eur Spine J 17:1201–1209

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Okuda S, Oda T, Miyauchi A, Haku T, Yamamoto T, Iwasaki M (2006) Surgical outcomes of posterior lumbar interbody fusion in elderly patients. J Bone Joint Surg 88:2714–2720

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Porter RW (1996) Spinal stenosis and neurogenic claudication. Spine 21:2046–2052

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Raffo CS, Lauerman WC (2006) Predicting morbidity and mortality of lumbar spine arthrodesis in patients in their ninth decade. Spine 31:99–103

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Ragab AA, Fye MA, Bohlman HH (2003) Surgery of the lumbar spine for spinal stenosis in 118 patients 70 years of age or older. Spine 28:348–353

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Roder C, Chavanne A, Mannion AF, Grob D, Aebi M (2005) SSE Spine Tango content, workflow, set-up. http://www.eurospine.org-Spine Tango. Eur Spine J 14:920-924

  21. Sanderson PL, Wood PL (1993) Surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis in old people. J Bone Joint Surg Br 75:393–397

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Shabat S, Arinzon Z, Folman Y, Leitner J, David R, Pevzner E, Gepstein R, Pekarsky I, Shuval I (2008) Long-term outcome of decompressive surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis in octogenarians. Eur Spine J 17:193–198

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Silvers HR, Lewis PJ, Asch HL (1993) Decompressive lumbar laminectomy for spinal stenosis. J Neurosurg 78:695–701

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Thome C, Zevgaridis D, Leheta O, Bazner H, Pockler-Schoniger C, Wohrle J, Schmiedek P (2005) Outcome after less-invasive decompression of lumbar spinal stenosis: a randomized comparison of unilateral laminotomy, bilateral laminotomy, and laminectomy. J Neurosurg Spine 3:129–141

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Zweig T, Mannion AF, Grob D, Melloh M, Munting E, Tuschel A, Aebi M, Roder C (2009) How to Tango: a manual for implementing Spine Tango. Eur Spine J 18(Suppl 3):312–320

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

We would like to thank the Spine Tango registry group who made this research possible by populating the database with their valuable and much appreciated entries.

Conflict of interest

The authors attest that they have no conflict of interests in the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Straße 9, 50924, Cologne, Germany

    Rolf Sobottke, Peer Eysel & Stephan K. Delank

  2. Institute for Evaluative Research in Medicine, University of Bern, Stauffacherstrasse 78, 3014, Bern, Switzerland

    Emin Aghayev, Christoph Röder & Thomas Zweig

Authors
  1. Rolf Sobottke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Emin Aghayev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Christoph Röder
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Peer Eysel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Stephan K. Delank
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Thomas Zweig
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emin Aghayev.

Additional information

Rolf Sobottke and Emin Aghayev have equally contributed to the study.

On behalf of the Spine Tango Registry Group.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sobottke, R., Aghayev, E., Röder, C. et al. Predictors of surgical, general and follow-up complications in lumbar spinal stenosis relative to patient age as emerged from the Spine Tango Registry. Eur Spine J 21, 411–417 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-011-2016-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-011-2016-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation