Should realignment goals vary based on patient frailty status in adult spinal deformity?

The objective of this study was to adjust the sagittal age-adjusted score (SAAS) to accommodate frailty in alignment considerations and thereby increase the predictability of clinical outcomes and junctional failure.

Surgical adult spinal deformity (ASD) patients with 2-year data were included. Frailty was assessed with the continuous ASD modified frailty index (ASD-mFI). Two-year outcomes were proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK), proximal junctional failure (PJF), major mechanical complications, and best clinical outcome (BCO), defined as Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score < 15 and Scoliosis Research Society outcomes questionnaire total score > 4.5 by 2 years. Linear regression analysis established a 6-week score based on the component scores of SAAS, frailty, and US normal values for ODI score. Logistic regression analysis followed by conditional inference tree run forest analysis generated categorical thresholds. Multivariate analysis, controlling for age, baseline deformity, and history of revision, was used to compare outcome rates, and logistic regression generated odds ratios for the continuous score. Thirty percent of the cohort was used as a random sample for internal validation.

In total, 412 patients were included (mean ± SD age 60.1 ± 14.2 years, 80% female, BMI 26.9 ± 5.4 kg/m2). Baseline frailty categories were as follows: 57% not frail, 30% frail, and 14% severely frail. Overall, by 2 years, 39% of patients had developed PJK, 8% PJF, and 21% mechanical complications; 22% had undergone a reoperation; and 15% met BCO. When the cohort as a whole was assessed, the 6-week SAAS had a correlation with the development of PJK and PJF, but not mechanical complications, reoperation, or BCO. Development of mechanical complications, PJF, reoperation, and BCO demonstrated correlations with ASD-mFI (all p < 0.05). Regression analysis modifying SAAS on the basis of ODI norms and frailty generated the following equation: frailty-adjusted SAAS (FAS) = 0.108 × T1 pelvic angle + 0.162 × pelvic tilt - 0.39 × pelvic incidence - lumbar lordosis - 0.03 × ASD-mFI - 1.6771. With conditional inference tree analysis, thresholds were derived for FAS: aligned < 1.7, offset 1.7-2.2, and severely offset > 2.2. Significance between FAS categories was found for PJK, PJF, mechanical complications, reoperation, and BCO by 2 years. Binary logistic regression, controlling for baseline deformity and revision status, demonstrated significance between FAS and all 5 outcome variables (all p < 0.01). Internal validation saw each outcome variable maintain significance between categories, with even greater odds for PJF (OR 13.4, 95% CI 4.7-38.3, p < 0.001).

Consideration of physiological age, in addition to chronological age, may be beneficial in the management of operative goals to maximize clinical outcomes while minimizing junctional failure. This combination enables the spine surgeon to fortify a surgical plan for even the most challenging patients undergoing ASD corrective surgery.