Postoperative Outcomes Following Posterior Lumbar Fusion in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis

Psoriatic arthritis increases the risk of venous thromboembolism following degenerative lumbar spine surgery: An analysis of U.S. Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2005-2018

Background

This retrospective study aimed to determine the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with PsA after surgery for lumbar degenerative disease (LDD).

Methods

The study data of adults aged ≥20 years admitted to U.S. hospitals with diagnoses of LDD and undergoing spinal decompression or fusion between 2005 and 2018 were extracted from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. Patients were further divided into two groups based on a diagnosis of PsA or not via codes ICD-9: 696.0 and ICD-10: L40.50. Patients with missing information were excluded. Propensity score matching (PSM) was employed to enhance comparability between groups. Logistic regression was used to determine associations between PsA and various outcomes, including complications, unfavorable discharge, and prolonged length of stay (LOS).

Results

Data on 471,283 patients with LDD was extracted from the NIS database.from 2005 to 2018. Before propensity score matching, patients with PsA had higher proportions of overall morbidity (8.8 % vs. 6.9 %), VTE (1.4 % vs. 0.7 %), and unfavorable discharge (20.8 % vs. 16.9 %). After matching, patients with PsA still had higher VTE incidence and unfavorable discharge proportions. After adjustments, multivariable regression analysis indicated that patients with PsA had a higher risk of unfavorable discharge (aOR: 1.26, 95 % CI: 1.03-1.55) and VTE (aOR: 1.99, 95 % CI: 1.05-3.75).

Conclusions

Among patients undergoing surgery for LDD, pre-existing PsA may be associated with increased risks of unfavorable discharge and VTE occurrence. The findings may benefit preoperative risk stratifications before LDD surgeries.

Economic burden of multiple sclerosis in the United States: A systematic literature review

BACKGROUND

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is chronic progressive disease that poses a significant economic burden to patients and health care systems in the United States. We conducted a systematic literature review to provide up-to-date insights on the economic burden of MS in the United States.

OBJECTIVE

To comprehensively review and summarize the latest published evidence on the economic burden of MS with a focus on cost, resource use, and work productivity.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted using the Embase and Medline databases to identify studies, published between January 2011 and July 2022, reporting cost, resource use, or work productivity outcomes among people with MS in the United States. Clinical trials, economic modeling studies, and review articles were excluded. Details of eligible studies, including study design, patient population, and study outcomes for the overall population, as well as subgroups of interest, were extracted and summarized qualitatively.

RESULTS

Overall, 65 studies reporting cost, resource use, or work productivity data were included with majority of studies using claims data. The direct costs associated with MS ranged from $16,614 (2006) to $72,744 (2017) per patient per year with diseasemodifying therapies (DMTs) being the major cost contributors accounting for 43%-78%. The indirect costs reported ranged from $9,122 (2017) to $30,601 (2011) per patient per year with absenteeism, early retirement, and informal care being the key drivers for indirect costs. Costs, resource use, and work impairment were significantly higher for patients with severe disability compared with those with mild disability. Pharmacy costs were the major cost drivers in patients with mild, moderate, and severe disability. Similarly, patients with relapses incurred significantly higher costs, resource use, and work impairment compared with those without relapses. Additional hospitalization charges were the major driver of higher costs in patients who experienced relapses compared with those without relapses.

CONCLUSIONS

Direct costs, particularly DMTs, appear to be the major cost drivers for people with MS in the United States. Availability of lower-cost therapies may considerably decrease the economic burden on these patients and the health care systems. Future research focusing on indirect costs, intangible costs, and their contributors would contribute to further understanding of economic burden to avoid underestimation of the financial burden experienced by the patients.

Complications, readmissions, reoperations and patient-reported outcomes in patients with multiple sclerosis undergoing elective spine surgery - a propensity matched analysis

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune, neurodegenerative disease that can lead to significant functional disability. Improving treatment regimens have extended life expectancy and led to an increase in the number of elective spine surgeries for degenerative conditions in the MS population. Recent literature has reported mixed results regarding the efficacy of elective spine surgery for patients with MS. There is also a paucity of literature comparing postoperative patient reported outcomes (PROs) and reoperation rates between patients with and without MS.

PURPOSE

To determine if patients with MS have worse PROs and higher complication, readmission and reoperation rates after elective spine surgery compared with patients without neurodegenerative conditions when adjusting for baseline covariates through propensity matching.

STUDY DESIGN/SETTING

Retrospective review of prospectively collected data from the Quality Outcomes Database (QOD), a national, longitudinal, multicenter spine outcomes registry.

PATIENT SAMPLE

For the lumbar cohort, 312 patients with MS and 46,738 patients without MS were included. The cervical myelopathy cohort included 91 patients with MS and 6,426 patients without MS. The cervical radiculopathy cohort consisted of 103 patients with MS and 13,751 patients without MS.

OUTCOME MEASURES

1) complication rates, 2) readmission rates, 3) reoperation rates, and 4) PROs at 3- and 12-months including ODI/NDI, NRS back/neck/arm/leg pain, mJOA scores and patient satisfaction ratings.

METHODS

Data from the QOD was queried for patients with surgeries occurring between 04/2013-01/2019. Three surgical groups were included: 1) Elective lumbar surgery, 2) Elective cervical surgery for myelopathy, 3) Elective cervical surgery for radiculopathy. Patients with any neurodegenerative condition other than MS were excluded. Patients without MS were propensity matched against patients with MS in a 5 to 1 ratio without replacement based on ASA grade, arthrodesis, surgical approach, number of operated levels, age, and baseline ODI/NDI, NRS leg/arm pain, NRS back/neck pain, and EQ-5D. Multivariable regressions with cluster-robust standard errors were used to estimate average effect of how the outcome would change if the MS patient didn't have the disease. The mean difference was used for continuous outcomes and the risk difference was used for binary outcomes.

RESULTS

For the lumbar cohort, no differences were found between the 2 groups at 3 or 12 months in any of the outcome measures. For the myelopathy cohort, patients with MS patients had a lower rate of reoperation at 12 months (risk difference=-0.036, p=.007) and worse 3-month mJOA scores (mean difference=-1.044, p=.004) compared with patients without MS. For the radiculopathy cohort, patients with MS had a lower rate of reoperation at 3 months (risk difference=-0.019, p=.018) and 12 months (risk difference=-0.029, p=.007) compared with those without MS.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with MS had similar PROs compared with patients without MS when adjusting for baseline covariates through propensity matching, except for 3-month mJOA scores in the myelopathy cohort. Reoperation rates were found to be lower in patients with MS undergoing elective cervical surgery for both myelopathy and radiculopathy. These results suggest that when analyzed independently, a diagnosis of MS does not significantly impact complication, readmission and reoperation rates or PROs, and therefore should not represent a major contraindication to elective spine surgery. Surgical decisions in this patient population should be made based on careful consideration of patient factors including other comorbidities as well as baseline patient functional status.