Postoperative Recovery Outcomes in Adult Scoliosis: A Prospective Multicenter Database With 5-Year Follow-Up

Area of Science:

• Spine surgery
• Orthopedics
• Quality of life research

Background:

• Adult scoliosis significantly impacts pain and disability.
• Spinal surgery offers improvements over conservative care.
• Postoperative quality of life timing is not well-studied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine postoperative quality of life outcomes in scoliosis patients.
• Utilized the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) at defined intervals.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of a prospective, multi-institutional database.
• 1,750 patients completed the ODI at baseline and 6 follow-ups (6 weeks to 5 years).
• Stratified analysis by age, surgery type, complexity, and complications.

Main Results:

• Older patients, revision surgeries, and osteotomies correlated with higher baseline ODI scores.
• All groups showed significant ODI improvement from 6 weeks to 6 months.
• Outcomes plateaued for most patients between 1 and 5 years postoperatively.

Conclusions:

• Surgical treatment can substantially enhance quality of life for adult scoliosis patients.
• Understanding improvement timing aids patient counseling and care pathways.