TY - JOUR
T1 - Defining modern iatrogenic flatback syndrome
T2 - examination of segmental lordosis in short lumbar fusion patients undergoing thoracolumbar deformity correction
AU - on behalf of the International Spine Study Group (ISSG)
AU - Diebo, Bassel G.
AU - Singh, Manjot
AU - Balmaceno-Criss, Mariah
AU - Daher, Mohammad
AU - Lenke, Lawrence G.
AU - Ames, Christopher P.
AU - Burton, Douglas C.
AU - Lewis, Stephen M.
AU - Klineberg, Eric O.
AU - Lafage, Renaud
AU - Eastlack, Robert K.
AU - Gupta, Munish C.
AU - Mundis, Gregory M.
AU - Gum, Jeffrey L.
AU - Hamilton, Kojo D.
AU - Hostin, Richard
AU - Passias, Peter G.
AU - Protopsaltis, Themistocles S.
AU - Kebaish, Khaled M.
AU - Kim, Han Jo
AU - Shaffrey, Christopher I.
AU - Line, Breton G.
AU - Mummaneni, Praveen V.
AU - Nunley, Pierce D.
AU - Smith, Justin S.
AU - Turner, Jay
AU - Schwab, Frank J.
AU - Uribe, Juan S.
AU - Bess, Shay
AU - Lafage, Virginie
AU - Daniels, Alan H.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024.
PY - 2024/12
Y1 - 2024/12
N2 - Purpose: Understanding the mechanism and extent of preoperative deformity in revision procedures may provide data to prevent future failures in lumbar spinal fusion patients. Methods: ASD patients without prior spine surgery (PRIMARY) and with prior short (SHORT) and long (LONG) fusions were included. SHORT patients were stratified into modes of failure: implant, junctional, malalignment, and neurologic. Baseline demographics, spinopelvic alignment, offset from alignment targets, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were compared across PRIMARY and SHORT cohorts. Segmental lordosis analyses, assessing under-, match, or over-correction to segmental and global lordosis targets, were performed by SRS-Schwab coronal curve type and construct length. Results: Among 785 patients, 430 (55%) were PRIMARY and 355 (45%) were revisions. Revision procedures included 181 (23%) LONG and 174 (22%) SHORT corrections. SHORT modes of failure included 27% implant, 40% junctional, 73% malalignment, and/or 28% neurologic. SHORT patients were older, frailer, and had worse baseline deformity (PT, PI-LL, SVA) and PROMs (NRS, ODI, VR-12, SRS-22) compared to primary patients (p < 0.001). Segmental lordosis analysis identified 93%, 88%, and 62% undercorrected patients at LL, L1-L4, and L4-S1, respectively. SHORT patients more often underwent 3-column osteotomies (30% vs. 12%, p < 0.001) and had higher ISSG Surgical Invasiveness Score (87.8 vs. 78.3, p = 0.006). Conclusions: Nearly half of adult spinal deformity surgeries were revision fusions. Revision short fusions were associated with sagittal malalignment, often due to undercorrection of segmental lordosis goals, and frequently required more invasive procedures. Further initiatives to optimize alignment in lumbar fusions are needed to avoid costly and invasive deformity corrections. Level of evidence: IV: Diagnostic: individual cross-sectional studies with consistently applied reference standard and blinding.
AB - Purpose: Understanding the mechanism and extent of preoperative deformity in revision procedures may provide data to prevent future failures in lumbar spinal fusion patients. Methods: ASD patients without prior spine surgery (PRIMARY) and with prior short (SHORT) and long (LONG) fusions were included. SHORT patients were stratified into modes of failure: implant, junctional, malalignment, and neurologic. Baseline demographics, spinopelvic alignment, offset from alignment targets, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were compared across PRIMARY and SHORT cohorts. Segmental lordosis analyses, assessing under-, match, or over-correction to segmental and global lordosis targets, were performed by SRS-Schwab coronal curve type and construct length. Results: Among 785 patients, 430 (55%) were PRIMARY and 355 (45%) were revisions. Revision procedures included 181 (23%) LONG and 174 (22%) SHORT corrections. SHORT modes of failure included 27% implant, 40% junctional, 73% malalignment, and/or 28% neurologic. SHORT patients were older, frailer, and had worse baseline deformity (PT, PI-LL, SVA) and PROMs (NRS, ODI, VR-12, SRS-22) compared to primary patients (p < 0.001). Segmental lordosis analysis identified 93%, 88%, and 62% undercorrected patients at LL, L1-L4, and L4-S1, respectively. SHORT patients more often underwent 3-column osteotomies (30% vs. 12%, p < 0.001) and had higher ISSG Surgical Invasiveness Score (87.8 vs. 78.3, p = 0.006). Conclusions: Nearly half of adult spinal deformity surgeries were revision fusions. Revision short fusions were associated with sagittal malalignment, often due to undercorrection of segmental lordosis goals, and frequently required more invasive procedures. Further initiatives to optimize alignment in lumbar fusions are needed to avoid costly and invasive deformity corrections. Level of evidence: IV: Diagnostic: individual cross-sectional studies with consistently applied reference standard and blinding.
KW - Adult spinal deformity
KW - Mode of failure
KW - Revision
KW - Sagittal malalignment
KW - Segmental lordosis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85207022820&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00586-024-08531-z
DO - 10.1007/s00586-024-08531-z
M3 - Article
C2 - 39443371
AN - SCOPUS:85207022820
SN - 0940-6719
VL - 33
SP - 4627
EP - 4635
JO - European Spine Journal
JF - European Spine Journal
IS - 12
ER -