Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40551472›Full record

ArticleAsian spine journal2025

Clinical outcomes of posterior cervical fusion in the setting of increasing age and medical complexity: an American national database analysis from 2012 to 2022.

Ryan Le, Ryan Hoang, Joshua Lee, Noah Makaio Ross, Joe Morrissey, Oluwaseun Awosanya, Michael Oh, Hansen Bow, Yu-Po Lee, Nitin Bhatia

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In one paragraph

Article in Asian spine journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
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

10 authors.

Ryan LeSchool of Medicine, The University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Ryan HoangSchool of Medicine, The University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Joshua LeeSchool of Medicine, The University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Noah Makaio RossSchool of Medicine, The University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Joe MorrisseySchool of Medicine, The University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Oluwaseun AwosanyaSchool of Medicine, The University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Michael OhSchool of Medicine, The University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Hansen BowSchool of Medicine, The University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Yu-Po LeeSchool of Medicine, The University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Nitin BhatiaSchool of Medicine, The University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

STUDY

designRetrospective cohort study. PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate trends in postoperative complications for posterior cervical fusions from 2012 to 2022. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Previous studies analyzing the longitudinal outcomes of posterior cervical fusion from 2003 to 2013 have demonstrated relatively improved postoperative outcomes despite the increasing volume, complexity, and age of the patient population. However, few studies have evaluated these outcomes since 2013.

methodsThe American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried for patients undergoing posterior cervical fusion between 2006 and 2022. Patients aged >18 years with current procedural terminology code 22600 for posterior cervical fusion were included. Patient demographics and comorbidities were recorded, including age, race, body mass index, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. Annual 30-day complication rates were reported, including wound infection, readmission, reoperation, length of stay, intraoperative blood transfusions, and mortality.

resultsIn total, 25,537 patients undergoing posterior cervical fusion from 2012 to 2022 were included. Variations in the rates of urinary tract infection, deep vein thrombosis, sepsis, reoperation, and mortality were not significant. Wound infection rates increased from 2.4% in 2012 to 4.0% in 2022 (p=0.003). Pneumonia rates increased from 1.2% in 2012 to 1.6% in 2022 (p=0.011). Intraoperative blood transfusion rates decreased consistently from 5.6% in 2012 to 2.8% in 2022 (p<0.001). Readmission rates increased from 6.4% in 2012 to 6.7% in 2022 (p<0.001). The average length of stay decreased from 4.18 days in 2012 to 3.97 days in 2019, before increasing between 2020 and 2022 to 4.17 days in 2022.

conclusionsRates of comorbidities including age, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension have increased among patients undergoing posterior cervical fusion between 2012 and 2022, whereas complication rates have remained relatively similar. The length of stay has shortened despite the higher medical complexity of the patients who underwent surgery.

Indexed as

Cervical vertebraSpinal cord compressionSpinal fusion

Identifiers

PMID40551472
PMCPMC12400096

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