Objective:

To determine if preoperative albumin-alkaline phosphatase ratio (AAPR) is predictive of clinical outcomes in patients with degenerative lumbar diseases undergoing lumbar fusion.

Method:

326 patients undergoing posterior lumbar decompression and fusion were retrospectively analyzed. The cumulative grade was calculated by summing the Pfirrmann grades of all lumbar discs. Grouping was based on the 50th percentile of cumulative grade. The relationship between AAPR, intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) severity, and fusion rate was explored using correlation analyses and logistic regression models. Meanwhile, the ROC curve evaluated the discrimination ability of AAPR in predicting severe degeneration and non-fusion.

Results:

High AAPR levels were significantly negatively correlated with severe degeneration and non-fusion rate. A multivariate binary logistic analysis revealed that high preoperative AAPR was an independent predictor of severe degeneration and postoperative non-fusion (OR: 0.114; 95% CI: 0.027-0.482; p = 0.003; OR: 0.003; 95% CI: 0.0003-0.022; p < 0.001). The models showed excellent discrimination and calibration. The areas under the curve (AUC) of severe degeneration and non-fusion identified by AAPR were 0.635 and 0.643.

Conclusion:

The AAPR can help predict the severity of disc degeneration and the likelihood of non-fusion.