Instrumented fusion surgery in elderly patients (over 75 years old): clinical and radiological results in a series of 53 patients.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of elderly (>75 years old) patients who underwent spinal instrumented fusion surgery.


METHODS
Patients underwent lumbar pedicle screw fixation and fusion for degenerative spondylolisthesis. Clinical and radiological outcomes were assessed.


RESULTS
53 patients were studied. Pre-operative VAS was 7.8, ODI was 47.6 %. 254 screws were placed (36 single level; 13 double levels and 4 cases three-levels). No mortality occurred. At 18 months follow-up VAS was 4.1, ODI was 21.8 %. A stable fusion was observed in 41 patients (78.8 %); in four cases there was minimal sign of instability and seven patients underwent a second surgery due to screw mobilization.


CONCLUSIONS
Spinal fixation and fusion in patients older than 75 years old grants good results in terms of quality of life but the rate of morbidity is higher than standard spine surgery. Rate of fusion especially is still a critical point.
Neurosurgery, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Via A. Manzoni, 56, 20089, Rozzano, Milan, Italy, f.costa@fastwebmail.it.
Francesco
F
Costa
Alessandro
A
Ortolina
Massimo
M
Tomei
Andrea
A
Cardia
Edwin
E
Zekay
Maurizio
M
Fornari
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D065289:Pedicle Screws; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D013168:Spondylolisthesis / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome