• Jong-Myung Jung, Chun Kee Chung, Chi Heon Kim, Seung Heon Yang, and KoYoung SanYSDepartment of Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea..
• Department of Neurosurgery, Spine Center, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
• Spine. 2022 Mar 1; 47 (5): 396404396-404.

Study DesignRetrospective cohort study.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to analyze postoperative complications and recovery patterns in different modified 11-item frailty index (mFI-11) groups after lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) surgery.Summary Of Background DataThe relationship between the mFI-11 score and LLIF surgery has not been previously reported.MethodsA single-center, consecutive series of patients who underwent LLIF with at least two years of follow-up were retrospectively reviewed. Complications after LLIF surgery were recorded. Clinical outcomes, including the visual analog scale (VAS) for back/leg pain and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), were evaluated preoperatively and at 1 and 2 years postoperatively. The proportions of patients who achieved substantial clinical benefit (SCB) for the VAS-B, VAS-L, and ODI were also analyzed.ResultsOne hundred fifty-two patients included in the present study were grouped according to their mFI-11 score: 0 (n = 39), 0.09 (n = 69), 0.18 (n = 31), and ≥0.27 (n = 13). An mFI-11 score ≥0.27 was a significant predictor of urinary complications (adjusted odds ratio: 3.829, P = 0.013). At 2 years postoperatively, patients in all frailty categories experienced improvements in the VAS for back pain, VAS for leg pain, and ODI, without significant differences between the four groups (p = 0.182, 0.121, and 0.804, respectively). There were also no significant differences in the proportions of patients achieving SCB for back/leg pain and the ODI between the four groups (P = 0.843, 0.957, and 0.915, respectively).ConclusionAn mFI-11 score was found to be independently associated with urologic complications in patients who underwent LLIF. Patients in all frailty categories experienced significant improvements in back pain, leg pain, and the ODI at 1 year and 2 years postoperatively. LLIF surgery may be useful for patients with high frailty index.Level of Evidence: 4.Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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