Study design:

Retrospective cohort study.

Objective:

The present study is the first to assess the impact of paraspinal sarcopenia on PROMs following PCDF.

Summary of background data:

While the impact of sarcopenia on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) following lumbar spine surgery is well-established, the impact of sarcopenia on PROMs following posterior cervical decompression and fusion (PCDF) has not been investigated.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective review of patients undergoing PCDF from C2-T2 at a single institution between the years 2017-2020. Two independent reviewers who were blinded to the clinical outcome scores utilized axial cuts of T2-weighted MRI sequences to assess fatty infiltration of the bilateral multifidus muscles at the C5-6 level and classify patients according to the Fuchs Modification of the Goutalier grading system. PROMs were then compared between subgroups.

Results:

We identified 99 patients for inclusion in this study, including 28 patients with mild sarcopenia, 45 patients with moderate sarcopenia, and 26 patients with severe sarcopenia. There was no difference in any preoperative PROM between the subgroups. Mean postoperative NDI scores were lower in the mild and moderate sarcopenia subgroups (12.8 and 13.4, respectively) than in the severe sarcopenia subgroup (21.0, P<0.001). A higher percentage of patients with severe multifidus sarcopenia reported postoperative worsening of their NDI (10 patients, 38.5%; P=0.003), VAS Neck scores (7 patients, 26.9%; P=0.02), PROMIS Physical Component scores (10 patients, 38.5%; P=0.02), and PROMIS Mental Component scores (14 patients, 53.8%; P=0.02).

Conclusion:

Patients with more severe paraspinal sarcopenia demonstrate less improvement in neck disability and physical function postoperatively and are substantially more likely to report worsening PROMs postoperatively.

Level of evidence:

3.