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Updated: May 26, 2025
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Evaluation of Patients' Posture and Gait Profile After Lumbar Fusion Surgery by Video Rasterstereography and Treadmill Gait Analysis
Published on: March 23, 2019
17.6K
Evaluating the Association Between Physical Therapy Variables and Outcomes After Lumbar Fusion.
Jeremy C Heard1, Teeto Ezeonu, Yunsoo Lee
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rothman Orthopaedic Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA.
Clinical Spine Surgery
|February 25, 2025
Summary
Early inpatient physical therapy after lumbar fusion surgery can decrease hospital stays. However, it does not significantly impact complications, readmissions, or reoperations. Further research is needed to identify barriers to timely physical therapy.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Neurosurgery
- Physical Therapy
Background:
- Early ambulation is recognized for improving outcomes in spine surgery patients.
- Limited research exists on the specific impact of inpatient physical therapy (PT) on outcomes after posterior lumbar decompression and fusion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effect of inpatient physical therapy variables on complications, 90-day readmissions, 1-year reoperation rates, and length of stay following posterior lumbar decompression and fusion.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study of 425 adult patients undergoing posterior lumbar decompression and fusion (2019-2020).
- Collected data on time to first PT session, gait trial distance, pain ratings, and Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AM-PAC) scores.
- Analyzed surgical outcomes including length of stay, complications, readmissions, and reoperations.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in complications or readmissions based on time to PT or gait trial distance.
- Patients without complications had higher AM-PAC scores.
- Physical therapy within 6 hours of surgery predicted a decreased length of stay.
Conclusions:
- Initiating inpatient physical therapy within 6 hours of posterior lumbar decompression and fusion surgery is associated with reduced length of stay.
- Early PT does not appear to influence inpatient complications, 90-day readmissions, or 1-year reoperation rates.
- Further investigation is warranted to understand and overcome delays in providing early postoperative physical therapy.
