Lumbar Spinal Fusion Affects Sitting Disability on the Floor

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Spinal Surgery
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Lumbar spinal fusion is a common treatment for spinal diseases.
• Its effect on floor sitting, a prevalent practice in some cultures, remains unexamined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of lumbar spinal fusion on the ability to sit on the floor.
• To compare floor sitting ability between patients who underwent fusion versus decompression surgery.

Main Methods:

• 100 patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion and 47 undergoing decompression surgery were evaluated.
• The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was modified to assess floor sitting.
• ODI scores were compared using standard chair sitting versus floor sitting assessments.

Main Results:

• Patients who had lumbar spinal fusion reported significantly worse ODI scores when assessing floor sitting compared to chair sitting.
• This difference persisted across single or multi-level fusions and specific spinal levels (L4-L5, L5-S1).
• Patients who underwent decompression surgery showed no difference in ODI scores between floor and chair sitting assessments.

Conclusions:

• Lumbar spinal fusion leads to a significant disability in floor sitting.
• This floor sitting impairment is often underestimated and should be a key consideration for patients in societies where floor sitting is customary.