Lumbar Fusion: Two Decades of Change

Investigators find rising use of complex lumbar fusion procedures and increasing hospital costs in the US.

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Inflation-adjusted inpatient hospital costs for lumbar fusion rose from $3.86 billion in 2002 to $14.1 billion in 2023.
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In 2023, there were 274,750 lumbar fusion procedures performed, with a mean patient age of 63 years and 52% identifying as female.
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The age-adjusted rate of lumbar fusion peaked at 89.9 per 100,000 individuals in 2016 before declining to 80 per 100,000 by 2023.
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Combined anterior-posterior fusions increased from 19.6% in 2016 to 41.1% in 2023, while single-level single-column fusions declined significantly.
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Surgical indications shifted, with fusion rates for scoliosis and spinal stenosis increasing significantly, while those for disc degeneration declined.

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