Predictors of improvement in quality of life and pain relief in lumbar spinal stenosis relative to patient age: a study based on the Spine Tango registry

An open decompression is the most common treatment for lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSS), even in the elderly. However, it is not clear whether the treatment outcome is age dependent. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the improvement in quality of life (QoL) and pain relief, after open decompression for LSS in relation to patient age. The study was performed on the basis of Spine Tango registry data. The database query resulted in 4768 patients from 40 international Spine Tango centres. The patients were subdivided into three age groups: (1) 20-64, (2) 65-74, and (3) ae75 years. In multivariate logistic regression models, predictors for improvement in QoL and achievement of the minimum clinically relevant change in pain of two points were analysed. All groups benefited from significant improvement in QoL and back and leg pain relief. Age group had no significant influence on the outcomes. The preoperative status of each outcome was a predictor for its own postoperative outcome. Fewer previous surgeries, rigid or dynamic stabilization, and lower patient comorbidity also had a partially predictive influence for one or the other outcome. Our results confirm that all age groups significantly benefit from the open decompressive treatment of LSS. Age group had no significant influence on any outcome.