Lumbar Arthroplasty Is Associated With a Lower Incidence of Adjacent Segment Disease Compared With ALIF: A Propensity-matched Analysis.

STUDY

DESIGN

Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to compare the rate of adjacent segment disease (ASD) between lumbar disk arthroplasty (LDA) and anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF).

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: LDA and ALIF are alternative surgical approaches used to treat lumbar degenerative disk disease. However, there is a paucity of studies comparing the risk of ASD after these procedures.

METHODS

Patients who underwent 1- to 2-level LDA or ALIF between 2010 and 2022 were identified in the PearlDiver Mariner insurance all-claims database. Exclusion criteria included the history of prior lumbar spine surgery or surgery for tumors, trauma, or infection. 1:1 propensity matching was performed using demographic factors, medical comorbidities, and surgical factors, which were significantly associated with ASD.

RESULTS

1:1 propensity matching created two equal groups of 1625 patients without baseline differences who underwent LDA or ALIF. LDA was significantly associated with a lower risk of ASD (relative risk: 0.932, 95% CI, 0.899-0.967, P <0.001) and need for revision within 30 days (relative risk: 0.235, 95% CI, 0.079-0.698, P =0.007). There were no differences in all-cause surgical and medical complications between both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

After risk adjustment for demographic and clinical characteristics, the results suggest that LDA is associated with a lower risk of ASD compared with ALIF. LDA was also associated with lower hospital cost and shorter length of stay.