Background:

To investigate and compare the surgical outcomes of short and thoracopelvic corrective fusion with our two-stage technique using lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) and posterior open surgery.

Methods:

Consecutive patients with adult spinal deformities who underwent a planned two-stage anterior-posterior surgery, using LLIF for the first stage and posterior open corrective fusion for the second stage, with a minimum of 2 years of follow-up were included. Patients who underwent lumbar or lumbosacral corrective fusion and thoracopelvic corrective fusion were categorized into the short group and thoracopelvic groups, respectively. We investigated the spinopelvic parameters and patient-reported outcome measurements.

Results:

Seventy-four consecutive patients (8 men, 66 women; average age, 70.0 years) were included. Ten patients underwent short corrective fusion following significant improvements in the symptoms and radiographic parameters post-LLIF. Several preoperative spinopelvic parameters were better in the short group. Compared to the thoracopelvic group, those who underwent short fusion had a poorer alignment 2 years postoperatively but with comparable results and a significantly higher function score on the Scoliosis Research Society-22 r (SRS-22r) questionnaire. The mean Oswestry Disability Index and SRS-22r scores significantly improved during the 2-year postoperative follow-up in both the groups.

Conclusions:

Short corrective fusion can be considered in patients whose symptoms and radiographic parameters significantly improve following LLIF. Patients who undergo short fusion with LLIF application have poorer alignment than those who undergo thoracopelvic fusion 2 years postoperatively; however, the results are comparable, and the function score is significantly improved.