The modified Frailty Index does not correlate with survival in surgically-treated patients with metastatic spine...

With the increasing burden of metastatic spinal disease there is ever-more pressure on the health system to provide optimal management. Multiple treatment modalities, including surgical intervention, are available. Multiple prognostic scoring systems have been developed to aid both clinician and patient in making the best decision for each individual. The modified Frailty Index (mFI) has not been assessed for its correlation with survival in patients treated for metastatic spine disease. A retrospective review of a patients undergoing surgery for metastatic spine disease at a tertiary referral centre was performed and a comparison was made between the mFI and previously established disease-specific prognostic scores (revised Tokuhashi, modified Bauer and Tomita scores and the Oswestry Spine Risk Index). 41 patients were included over a 5-year period. 38 deceased by the end of the study period with a 30-day mortality of 14.6% and a 1-year mortality of 73.2%. The mFI poorly correlated with survival. Out of the four established scoring system, the OSRI had the best correlation. The mFI did not correlate with survival in this cohort of surgically treated patients with metastatic spinal disease and is best used as a selection tool for surgery. Dedicated prognostic tools can be selected appropriate to the institution experience and set-up.