title: Life quality after instrumented lumbar fusion in the elderly.
abstract: METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To review the clinical outcome on elderly patients after spinal instrumented fusion.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Although lumbar fusion in elderly patients has increased rapidly, there are only few and conflicting results regarding the clinical outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective review evaluated 195 patients aged 70 to 89 who underwent lumbar spinal fusion. All 195 patients had follow-ups after 6 weeks, 1 year, and 2 years, including clinical evaluation as well as visual analog scale score, Oswestry Disability Index, and Short Form health survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Elderly patients benefit from spinal fusion. Back and leg pains were initially reduced by >50%, with a slight deterioration over a 2-year period. Pain medication was reduced in 69% of the patients, and 89.7% of the patients were satisfied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age itself cannot be considered a contraindication.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Hospital Speising, Spine Center, Vienna, Austria. philipp.becker@oss.at
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bretschneider
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tuschel
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000601:surgery; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires