title: Postural Balance Parameters as Objective Surgical Assessments in Low Back Disorders: A Systematic Review.
abstract: Balance assessments could render useful objective performance measures to evaluate the efficacy of low back surgeries, yet these assessments have not been collectively examined to determine longitudinal sensitivity across surgical interventions. The purpose of this review was to determine sensitivity of balance measurements for disparate spinal disorders after surgical intervention. We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and CINAHL. Articles were selected based on: (1) sample consisted of low back disorder individuals and (2) balance measurements were obtained both pre- and postsurgery. Most of the articles addressed 2 specific low back disorders: (1) adolescent idiopathic scoliosis/spinal fusion and (2) disc herniation/decompression surgery. For scoliosis patients, body sway increased (14-97%) immediately following surgery but gradually reduced (1-33%) approaching the 1-year post spinal fusion assessment. For patients with disc herniation, sway range, sway velocity, sway area, and sway variability all decreased (19-42%) immediately postsurgery. Balance assessments for adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis who underwent surgical intervention should be performed with visual occlusion, focus on time domain parameters, and evaluated with longer follow-up times. Patients with disc herniation who underwent decompression surgery should have balance assessments with visual deprivation, test conditions specifically addressing hip strategy, and correlation with pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.
authors.forename: Tzu Chuan
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: Nima
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Toosizadeh
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Howe
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dohm
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mohler
authors.forename: Bijan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Najafi
mesh_terms: D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013123:Spinal Fusion