title: Factors affecting lumbar spinal fusion.
abstract: There is little information on the effect of nonsurgical factors or postoperative anemia on achieving spinal fusion. In a prospective cohort study of 184 consecutive lumbar spinal fusions, we obtained data on socioeconomic, clinical, radiologic, and traditional surgical factors and analyzed associations between these factors and fusion status at 6 months post surgery. The overall fusion rate was 74%. Among the surgical factors, use of pedicle screw fixation (p = 0.005) predicted fusion success; postoperative anemia (hematocrit < 30%; p = 0.003) and a history of smoking (p = 0.050) predicted fusion failure. However, when the surgical factors were analyzed together with clinical and socioeconomic factors, back pain greater than or equal to leg pain (p < 0.001) and patients working at the initial visit (p = 0.001) predicted fusion success; shoulder pain at the initial visit (p < 0.001) and a family history of back surgery (p = 0.006) predicted fusion failure. These factors were stronger predictors of fusion status than were traditional surgical factors.
authors.affiliation: Orthopedic Surgeons, P.S.C., Billings, Montana, USA.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Snider
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Krumwiede
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Snider
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jurist
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lew
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Katz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology