Background:

Short-segment lumbar spinal surgery is the most performed procedure for treatment of degenerative disc disease. However, population-based data regarding reoperation and joint replacement surgeries after short-segment lumbar spinal surgery is limited.

Methods:

The study was a retrospective cohort design using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database for data collection. Patients selected were diagnosed with lumbar degenerative disc disease and undergone lumbar discectomy surgery between 2002 and 2013. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the incidence of 1-year spine reoperation and joint replacement surgeries, and the Cox proportional hazard regression was used to examine risk factors associated with the outcomes of interest.

Results:

A total of 90,105 patients were included. Incidences of 1-year spine reoperation and joint replacement surgeries for the hip and knee were 0.27, 0.04, and 0.04 per 100 people/month. Compared to fusion with the fixation group, fusion without fixation and the non-fusion group had higher risks of spine reoperation. Risk factors associated with spine reoperation included fusion without fixation, non-fusion surgery, age ≥ 45 years old, male gender, diabetes, a Charlson Comorbidity Index = 0, lowest social economic status, and steroid use history. Spine surgeries were not risk factors for joint replacement surgeries.

Conclusions:

Non-fusion surgery and spinal fusion without fixation had higher risks for spine reoperation. Spine surgeries did not increase the risk for joint replacement surgeries.