Purpose:

To determine the feasibility, safety and preliminary effectiveness of preoperative functional high-intensity interval training (f-HIIT) for high-risk patients undergoing LSF.

Materials and methods:

High-risk patients eligible for elective 1-3 level LSF were included. Feasibility and safety of the preoperative f-HIIT program was determined by measuring participation and attrition rates, training adherence, adverse events, reached training intensity and preoperative progression in physical fitness. Preliminary effect of the preoperative f-HIIT program was estimated on time to postoperative functional recovery and length of hospital stay (LoS) between high-risk patients who did and did not participate in the prehabilitation program.

Results:

Eleven out of 23 high-risk patients opted to participate in the f-HIIT program, which was safe and feasible, as no adverse events occurred and only one out of 74 sessions was missed (1.4%). Trained high-risk patients improved their physical fitness with 21.2% on average and obtained faster time to functional recovery compared to matched untrained patients (median 4.5 vs 7.5 days; p = 0.013). No effect was seen on LoS (median 7 vs 8 days (p = 0.58)).

Conclusions:

The preoperative f-HIIT program is feasible, safe and shortened time to postoperative functional recovery in patients who underwent LSF.Implications for rehabilitationPreoperative high-intensity interval training is safe and feasible for high-risk patients opting for lumbar spinal fusion.In a relatively small sample the study shows preoperative high-intensity interval training could reduce time to functional recovery in high-risk patients opting for lumbar spinal fusion.