Prevalence Rate of Osteoporosis in the Patients Who Underwent Posterior Instrumentation of Degenerative Lumbar Spine

Lee, Do Yoon; Lee, Jae Hyup; Lee, Ji Ho

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
To identify the prevalence rate of osteoporosis in the patients who underwent posterior instrumentation of degenerative lumbar spine and to identity the prescription rate of osteoporosis medication after operation, and to identify the importance of preoperative BMD.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study was done with 354 patients who underwent posterior instrumentation of lumbar spine from January of 2006 to July of 2011. The patients were divided into 4 groups according to their pre-operative BMD, normal, osteopenia, osteoporosis (-2.5>T> or =-3.0) and severe osteoporosis (3.0>T). We evaluated the prevalence rate of osteopenia and osteoporosis and analyzed the prescription rate and treatment options of osteoporosis medication on the patients who underwent posterior instrumentation surgery within one year after surgery.
RESULTS
BMD was performed on 85.5% of all patients. By group those with osteopenia were 85 patients, the osteoporosis group was 47 patients and the severe osteoporosis group included 30 patients. Among the osteopenia group, 7.0% were under osteoporosis treatment. Among the osteoporosis group, 74.5% were under osteoporosis treatment. Among the severe osteoporosis group, 83.3% were under osteoporosis treatment within 1 year, postoperatively.
CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence rate of osteoporosis was 25.4% in the patients who underwent posterior instrumentation of degenerative lumbar spine. The correlation between the patient's preoperative bone mineral density and the stability of the instrumentation was significant. Therefore, determining the patient's BMD via preoperative DEXA is very important because it can decide the treatment methods for osteoporosis before the surgery and help advance the timing of the initiation of treatment.