Prehabilitation Improves Early Outcomes in Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Surgery: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

A pilot randomized controlled trial.

To investigate the effects of a prehabilitation program on early postoperative outcomes in Japanese patients undergoing lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) surgery.

Prehabilitation has shown promise for improving postoperative outcomes in various surgical populations. However, its effectiveness in Japanese patients undergoing LSS surgery has not been previously studied.

Thirty-two of 34 patients scheduled for LSS surgery (mean age: 69.3 y, 17 female) were randomly assigned to the prehabilitation group (15 patients) or control group (17 patients). The primary outcomes were the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and 6-minute walk distance (6MWD). The secondary endpoints were the visual analog scale (VAS) scores for back pain, leg pain, and numbness. The intervention group received a 20-30-minute educational session from a physical or occupational therapist using a pamphlet 1 month before surgery, while the control group received a pamphlet handout. Assessments were conducted 1 month before surgery (baseline); 1 day before surgery; and 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively.

All patients underwent preoperative educational sessions. The prehabilitation group showed significant improvements in 6MWD at 3 months postoperatively compared with the control group (446.8±48.9 m vs. 384.3±58.3 m, P =0.01, Hedges' g=1.11). ODI scores at 1 month postoperatively were lower in the prehabilitation group (10.2±10.9 vs. 19.0±10.7, P =0.04, Hedges' g=-0.77). Low back pain VAS at 3 months postoperatively was also lower in the prehabilitation group (12.5±14.8 vs. 27.5±20.8, P =0.04, Hedges' g=0.75). No adverse events were reported in either of the groups.

Prehabilitation may enhance postoperative recovery and outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for LSS. Further research with a larger sample size is needed to establish the effectiveness of prehabilitation in this population.