ArticleArchives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery2026
Effect of spinal fusion length on hip and knee osteoarthritis: a comparative cohort study of no fusion, short-segment fusion, and long-segment fusion.
Article in Archives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeLumbar fusion alters spinal-pelvic biomechanics and may influence degenerative changes in the lower extremities. This study investigated whether fusion length is associated with radiographic progression of hip and knee osteoarthritis.
methodsIn this retrospective, single-center cohort study, patients aged 40-65 years who underwent lumbar surgery between 2010 and 2021 were grouped as no fusion (N), short fusion (S; ≤3 levels), or long fusion (L; ≥4 levels). Hip joint space width was assessed using minimum joint space (MJS) and superointermediate joint space (SJS), including femoral head-standardized measures (sMJS and sSJS). Knee medial joint space width (KMJS) was measured when available. Spinopelvic parameters (LL, PI, PT, SS, PI-LL) and functional outcomes (ODI, HHS, WOMAC) were recorded. Multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of joint space narrowing and osteoarthritis risk.
resultsHip joint space narrowing differed significantly among groups, with the highest annual narrowing rates in the long-fusion group, followed by the short-fusion group, and the lowest in the no-fusion group (p < 0.001). In contrast, knee KL grade change and annual KMJS narrowing did not differ significantly between groups (p > 0.05). In logistic regression, each additional fused level increased the odds of postoperative MJS ≤ 2.0 mm by 16-19%, and higher CEA was also associated with increased risk.
conclusionLong-segment lumbar fusion (≥ 4 levels) was associated with greater hip joint space narrowing and greater radiographic progression of hip osteoarthritis, whereas knee degeneration did not differ by fusion status. Patients undergoing extensive fusion may benefit from closer hip surveillance to facilitate earlier recognition of degeneration.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.