A study in The Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine investigated trends in isolated lumbar spinal stenosis treatment in U.S. adults.
Researchers analyzed inpatient and outpatient claims from the Truven Health Analytics MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database. The study comprised 20,279 patients aged 40–64 years who underwent surgery for LSS between 2010 and 2014.
Here are three trends:
1. The proportion of adults undergoing decompression with arthrodesis versus decompression only for LSS increased between 2010 and 2014.
2. The South and Midwest had the highest proportion of patients undergoing arthrodesis.
3. A greater proportion of fusions with arthrodesis were complex and were associated with increased complications, higher costs and a greater likelihood of being discharged to a skilled nursing facility.