• Daniel D Bohl, Junyoung Ahn, Michael Collins, Benjamin C Mayo, Dustin H Massel, Khaled Aboushaala, Rahul Kamath, Gabriel Duhancioglu, Moustafa Elbeik, and Kern Singh.
• Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL.
• Spine. 2016 Jul 1; 41 (13): 1104-10.

Study DesignRetrospective review of prospectively collected data.ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to characterize outcomes of functional capacity evaluations (FCEs) amongst patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery.Summary Of Background DataInjured workers often undergo an FCE upon reaching maximal medical improvement following surgery. To date, few studies have examined the results of FCEs following spinal fusion.MethodsPatients undergoing an FCE following a minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) or anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) were retrospectively identified. Based upon the FCE report, each patient's job-related preoperative physical requirement and postoperative work capability was categorized as light, medium, or heavy. Patients were characterized as being able to meet their preoperative job requirement if their FCE-determined capability was greater than or equal to their preoperative job requirement. Patient characteristics were tested for association with meeting preoperative job requirement using bivariate and multivariate regression.ResultsA total of 173 patients were identified: 71 (41.0%) and 102 (59.0%) underwent TLIF and ACDF, respectively. Of the 71 TLIF and 102 ACDF patients, 41 (58%) and 50 (49%) had light postoperative capabilities, 18 (25%) and 38 (37%) as medium, and 12 (17%) and 14 (14%) as heavy, respectively. Postoperatively, 26 (37%) of TLIF and 55 (54%) of ACDF patients were categorized as meeting their preoperative job requirement. Independent predictors of meeting preoperative job requirement following TLIF (P =0.002) and ACDF (P = 0.037) were lower preoperative job requirement, and younger age for ACDF (P < 0.001).ConclusionOnly one in five patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery for occupational injuries is able to perform heavy-duty work postoperatively. Similarly, approximately half of patients are able to perform medium-duty work. Moreover, a majority of patients are unable to return to their preoperative occupational responsibilities. These findings can be used to council patients regarding their likelihood of meeting postoperative work capacity.Level Of Evidence3.

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