Spine Journal
5-Year Functional Outcomes After Spinal Deformity Surgery in Older Adults
Jan 8, 2026
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5 min
This study looked at how older adults (age ≥ 60) benefit functionally after undergoing multilevel spinal fusion surgeryfor adult spinal deformity (ASD), using long-term follow-up data.
Purpose
To identify which functional outcomes matter most for elderly ASD patients after surgery.
To see if improvements are sustained up to 5 years postoperatively.
Method Summary
Design: Post-hoc analysis of a prospective multicenter observational study.
Participants: 219 patients aged 60+ undergoing spinal fusion of at least 5 spinal levels.
Assessments: Function evaluated using patient-reported outcomes like the SRS-22r, Oswestry Disability Index, and EQ-5D-3L questionnaires.
Follow-up: Evaluations at ~10 weeks, 12 months, 24 months, and 60 months (5 years) after surgery.
Key Results
Over five years after surgery:
Overall functional scores improved significantly compared to before surgery and remained improved at 5 years.
The proportion of patients who were bedbound or inactive dropped by more than half.
More patients could stand >30 min, walk a mile or more, and sit without limitation.
Reports of a normal social life increased from ~19% pre-surgery to ~53% at 5 years.
Conclusion
Elderly ASD patients who undergo extensive spinal fusion surgery can expect meaningful and lasting improvements in functional abilities such as standing, walking, sitting, and overall activity. These benefits were maintained through a 5-year follow-up period.
Colby Oitment, Aditya Raj, Hananel Shear-Yashuv, Yousef Aljamaal, Anna Rienmueller, Yukihiro Matsuyama, Yong Qiu, Juan P Sardi, Benny T Dahl, Maarten Spruit, Marinus de Kleuver, David W. Polly, Ferran Pellisé, Kenneth Mc Cheung, Ahmet Alanay, Lawrence G. Lenke, Christopher I. Shaffrey, Sigurd H. Berven, Stephen J. Lewis
