Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37932510›Full record

ArticleOsteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA2024

Pre-operative bone quality deficits and risk of complications following spine fusion surgery among postmenopausal women.

Alexander S Dash, Emma Billings, Katelyn Vlastaris, Han Jo Kim, Matthew E Cunningham, Joseph Raphael, Francis Lovecchio, John A Carrino, Darren Lebl, Donald McMahon and 1 more

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
3.8field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Skeletal risk factors for postoperative complications in older men undergoing spinal fusion surgery.Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Alexander S DashEndocrinology and Metabolic Bone Disease Service, Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 East 70th Street, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
Emma BillingsEndocrinology and Metabolic Bone Disease Service, Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 East 70th Street, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
Katelyn VlastarisEndocrinology and Metabolic Bone Disease Service, Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 East 70th Street, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
Han Jo KimSpine Service, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, USA.
Matthew E CunninghamSpine Service, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, USA.
Joseph RaphaelEndocrinology and Metabolic Bone Disease Service, Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 East 70th Street, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
Francis LovecchioSpine Service, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, USA.
John A CarrinoDepartment of Radiology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, USA.
Darren LeblSpine Service, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, USA.
Donald McMahonEndocrinology and Metabolic Bone Disease Service, Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 East 70th Street, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
Emily M SteinEndocrinology and Metabolic Bone Disease Service, Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 East 70th Street, New York, NY, 10021, USA. steine@hss.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1463-5774
Hospital for Special Surgery · US

Funding

Disparities in COVID Disease Severity and Outcomes in New York CityUL1TR002384 · NCATS · WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV · PI JULIANNE L IMPERATO-MCGINLEY · 2017 to 2026
$86.2M
MRI Bone Texture: A Novel Biomarker for Assessment of Bone Quality and Prediction of Complications in Patients Having Spine Fusion SurgeryR01AR081574 · NIAMS · HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY · PI STEIN, EMILY MARGARET · 2022 to 2025
$665k
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR002384NIAMS NIH HHS R01 AR081574NIH/NCATS UL1TR002384NIH/NIAMS R01AR081574
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Poor bone quality is a risk factor for complications after spinal fusion surgery. This study investigated pre-operative bone quality in postmenopausal women undergoing spine fusion and found that those with small bones, thinner cortices and surgeries involving more vertebral levels were at highest risk for complications. PURPOSE: Spinal fusion is one of the most common surgeries performed worldwide. While skeletal complications are common, underlying skeletal deficits are often missed by pre-operative DXA due to artifact from spinal pathology. This prospective cohort study investigated pre-operative bone quality using high resolution peripheral CT (HRpQCT) and its relation to post-operative outcomes in postmenopausal women, a population that may be at particular risk for skeletal complications. We hypothesized that women with low volumetric BMD (vBMD) and abnormal microarchitecture would have higher rates of post-operative complications.

methodsPre-operative imaging included areal BMD (aBMD) by DXA, cortical and trabecular vBMD and microarchitecture of the radius and tibia by high resolution peripheral CT. Intra-operative bone quality was subjectively graded based on resistance to pedicle screw insertion. Post-operative complications were assessed by radiographs and CTs.

resultsAmong 50 women enrolled (age 65 years), mean spine aBMD was normal and 35% had osteoporosis by DXA at any site. Low aBMD and vBMD were associated with "poor" subjective intra-operative quality. Skeletal complications occurred in 46% over a median follow-up of 15 months. In Cox proportional models, complications were associated with greater number of surgical levels (HR 1.19 95% CI 1.06-1.34), smaller tibia total area (HR 1.67 95% CI1.16-2.44) and lower tibial cortical thickness (HR 1.35 95% CI 1.05-1.75; model p < 0.01).

conclusionWomen with smaller bones, thinner cortices and procedures involving a greater number of vertebrae were at highest risk for post-operative complications, providing insights into surgical and skeletal risk factors for complications in this population.

Indexed as

Bone DensityPostmenopauseAbsorptiometry, PhotonAgedBone and BonesFemaleHumansProspective StudiesRadiusTibiaBone QCT/μCTDiseases and disorders related to boneDXAOrthopedicsOsteoporosisSpine surgery

Identifiers

PMID37932510
PMCPMC12005389
OpenAlexW4388460217

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.