New Hampshire and Arkansas were found to have the highest rates of unnecessary spinal fusions and/or laminectomies and vertebroplasties, respectively, according to a Nov. 14 report from the Lown Institute.
The Lown Institute defined "overuse" for spinal fusions and/or laminectomies if patients did not have radicular symptoms, trauma, herniated disc, discitis, spondylosis, myelopathy, radiculopathy, radicular pain or scoliosis. Vertebroplasty "overuse" was defined in patients who had fractures caused by osteoporosis, with some exclusions.
Between 2019 and 2021, more than 200,000 unnecessary spine surgeries cost Medicare an estimated $2 billion, the Lown Institute found. Average overuse rates nationwide were 14% for spinal fusions/laminectomy and 11% for vertebroplasty.
Here are states ranked by rates of overuse for spinal fusions and/or laminectomies:
New Hampshire: 22.30%
Iowa: 19.70%
Massachusetts: 18.20%
Pennsylvania: 18.20%
Alabama: 17.90%
Hawaii: 17.90%
Alaska: 17.50%
Vermont: 17.40%
New Mexico: 17.%
South Dakota: 16.90%
Kentucky: 16.40%
Ohio: 16.30%
Missouri: 16.20%
Indiana: 16.10%
West Virginia: 16.10%
Tennessee: 15.70%
Delaware: 15.60%
Maine: 15.60%
Illinois: 15.40%
New York: 15.%
District of Columbia: 14.90%
Michigan: 14.80%
Rhode Island: 14.60%
Nebraska: 14.50%
New Jersey: 14.40%
Florida: 14.%
Maryland: 13.90%
Connecticut: 13.80%
Montana: 13.70%
Virginia: 13.60%
Minnesota: 13.50%
California: 13.40%
Mississippi: 13.40%
Wisconsin: 13.40%
Nevada: 13.10%
Georgia: 12.80%
North Carolina: 12.60%
North Dakota: 12.10%
Utah: 12.10%
Washington: 11.70%
South Carolina: 11.60%
Louisiana: 11.50%
Colorado: 10.90%
Arizona: 10.70%
Kansas: 10.70%
Texas: 10.40%
Idaho: 9.70%
Arkansas: 9.40%
Oklahoma: 8.50%
Oregon: 8.50%
Wyoming: 7.50%
Here are states ranked by rates of overuse for vertebroplasties:
Arkansas: 20.%
Kansas: 19.80%
Oklahoma: 17.90%
Nevada: 16.60%
Nebraska: 16.10%
Indiana: 15.80%
Texas: 14.80%
Florida: 14.60%
Alabama: 14.20%
Georgia: 13.30%
Kentucky: 13.10%
Missouri: 12.80%
Mississippi: 12.60%
Rhode Island: 11.80%
Maryland: 11.60%
Ohio: 11.10%
Illinois: 10.20%
Louisiana: 10.20%
South Carolina: 10.%
District of Columbia: 9.60%
Michigan: 9.50%
North Carolina: 9.50%
Delaware: 9.20%
Connecticut: 8.60%
Iowa: 8.60%
South Dakota: 8.30%
Tennessee: 8.30%
Massachusetts: 7.80%
Wisconsin: 7.80%
Pennsylvania: 7.70%
Virginia: 7.60%
Colorado: 7.40%
California: 7.30%
New Hampshire: 7.20%
New York: 6.70%
Idaho: 6.40%
North Dakota: 6.40%
New Jersey: 6.%
New Mexico: 5.90%
Washington: 5.20%
West Virginia: 5.20%
Wyoming: 5.20%
Hawaii: 5.10%
Utah: 4.90%
Maine: 4.80%
Arizona: 4.50%
Minnesota: 3.60%
Montana: 3.40%
Vermont: 3.%
Oregon: 2.80%
Alaska: 1.50%