Impact of heterotopic ossification following lumbar total disk replacement: a systematic review

Background context Lumbar total disc replacement (TDR) is an alternative to lumbar fusion in the treatment of lower back pain and reduces the risk of adjacent segment degeneration. Heterotopic ossification (HO) has been identified as a common complication following lumbar TDR. Purpose This systematic review aims to determine the prevalence, risk factors and clinical and radiological impact of HO following lumbar TDR. Study Design Systematic Review. Methods MEDLINE, Scopus, PubMed and Cochrane Central were searched for articles that referred to lumbar TDR and HO. The hits were assessed against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data from each included study was extracted and analysed with respect to the study aims. Results Twenty-six studies were included in this review and the pooled prevalence of HO was estimated to be between 13.2% (participants) and 15.3% (vertebral levels). TDR clinical outcomes were not found to be reduced by HO and there was insufficient data to identify a given impact upon radiological outcomes. Age and follow up time were identified as potential risk factors for HO. Conclusions This review was hampered by inconsistencies in the reporting of HO across the studies. We therefore recommend that a set of guidelines should be produced to aid future researchers and reduce the risk of bias.

Automated summary

This systematic review aimed to determine the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical and radiological impact of heterotopic ossification (HO) following lumbar total disc replacement (TDR). The review included 26 studies and estimated the pooled prevalence of HO to be between 13.2% and 15.3%. Age and follow-up time were identified as potential risk factors for HO. However, inconsistencies in the reporting of HO across the studies limited the ability to determine the impact of HO on clinical and radiological outcomes. The review recommends the development of guidelines to aid future researchers and reduce bias risks.