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Research ArticleLumbar Spine

Decompression Alone Compared to Decompression With Fusion in Patients With Lumbar Spondylolisthesis: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression

Raymond Pranata, Michael Anthonius Lim, Rachel Vania and Tjokorda Gde Bagus Mahadewa
International Journal of Spine Surgery February 2022, 16 (1) 71-80; DOI: https://doi.org/10.14444/8179
Raymond Pranata
1 Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Pelita Harapan, Tangerang, Indonesia
MD
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  • ORCID record for Raymond Pranata
Michael Anthonius Lim
1 Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Pelita Harapan, Tangerang, Indonesia
MD, MHSM
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Rachel Vania
1 Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Pelita Harapan, Tangerang, Indonesia
MD
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Tjokorda Gde Bagus Mahadewa
2 Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Udayana University, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia
MD, PhD
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    Figure 1

    PRISMA flowchart.

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    Figure 2

    Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) outcomes. DCM, decompression.

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    Figure 3

    (A) Back pain and (B) leg pain outcomes. DCM, decompression.

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    Figure 4

    Complications. DCM, decompression.

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    Figure 5

    Risk of bias assessment. Risk of bias assessment for randomized controlled trials (A). Funnel plot analysis for Oswestry Disability Index (B) and complications (C).

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    Table 1

    Baseline characteristics of included studies.

    AuthorsDesignSample, n Age, y, mean ± SDFemale, %BMIBaseline ODI, mean ± SDLast Follow-up, moNOS
    Austevoll 20202 Multicenter prospective cohort (PSM)57064.7 ± 9.572.526.9 ± 4.541.1 ± 14.9128
    Chan 20194 Multicenter prospective cohort42662.5 ± 11.559.230.5 ± 6.547.7 ± 16.9127
    Försth 201316 Multicenter prospective cohort130669.4 ± 29.665.7NR44.4 ± 15.8256
    Försth 20166 Multicenter RCT13567.5 ± 7.079.2NR41.0 ± 13.524RoBa
    Ghogawala 20047 Multicenter prospective cohort3468.8 ± 8.068.0NR41.2126
    Ghogawala 20168 Multicenter RCT6666.6 ± 7.680.3NR37.5 ± 15.548 (24 for analysis)RoBa
    Inose 20183 Multicenter RCT6062.3 ± 7.753.3NRNR60RoBa
    Kim 20189 Prospective cohort12966.1 ± 8.977.521.4 ± 5.2NR247
    Kleinstueck 201110 Prospective cohort21368.9 ± 9.372.7NRNR127
    Matsudaira 200511 Retrospective cohort3967.5 ± 6.959.5NRNR247
    Park 201212 Retrospective cohort4564.3 ± 19.682.225.8 ± 4.726.9 ± 5.6637
    Sigmundsson 201513 Retrospective cohort83970.3 ± 9.576.9NR44.9 ± 14.8366
    Ulrich 201715 Retrospective cohort13172.3 ± 8.458.0NRNR367
    • aSee Figure 5A.

    • BMI, body mass index; NOS, Newcastle-Ottawa Scale; NR, not reported; ODI, Oswestry Disability Index; PSM, propensity-score matching; RoB, Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool.

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    Table 2

    Inclusion criteria and types of operation of included studies.

    AuthorsInclusion CriteriaNo. of Vertebral LevelsTypes of Operation
    Decompression AloneDecompression + Fusion
    Austevoll 20202 Diagnosed both spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis, and then operated with decompression or with decompression + fusion1–2Microdecompression with midline preservationInstrumented fusion
    Chan 20194 Diagnosed grade one spondylolisthesis, and then underwent posterior-only surgery at the index level of lumbar spondylolisthesis (decompression alone or fusion with or without decompression), or underwent single-segment surgery (single-level disc decompression [eg, L4 or L4–five decompressive laminectomy]) or a 2-level vertebral fusion (eg, L4–five posterior spinal fusion)1LaminectomyInstrumented fusion
    Försth 201316 a Aged >50 y at the time of surgery, diagnosed spinal stenosis on 1–2 adjacent levels between L2 and L5, with or without spondylolisthesis, and then operated with decompression or with decompression + fusion1–2DecompressionInstrumented or noninstrumented fusion
    Försth 20166 a Aged between 50 and 80 y, diagnosed spinal stenosis on 1–2 adjacent levels between L2 and sacrum, with or without spondylolisthesis, symptomatic (pseudoclaudication in one or both legs and back pain [VAS > 30]) for >6 mo, and then operated with decompression or with decompression + fusion1–2DecompressionInstrumented or noninstrumented fusion
    Ghogawala 20047 Aged between 50 and 81 y, diagnosed grade one spondylolisthesis, and then operated with decompression or with decompression + fusion-Decompression with aggressive facet-sparing techniquePosterolateral instrumented fusion
    Ghogawala 20168 Aged between 50 and 81 y, diagnosed stable grade one spondylolisthesis with spinal stenosis, symptomatic (neurogenic claudication with or without lumbar radiculopathy), and then operated with decompression or with decompression + fusion1Complete laminectomy with partial removal of medial facet jointPosterolateral instrumented fusion
    Inose 20183 Diagnosed spinal stenosis on one level at the L4-5, with spondylolisthesis, and then operated with decompression or decompression + fusion or decompression + stabilization1DecompressionPosterolateral instrumented fusion with autogenous iliac bone graft and pedicle screw
    Kim 20189 Diagnosed grade one spondylolisthesis at L4-5, symptomatic, and then operated with decompression or with decompression +fusion-Decompressive laminectomy, partial facetectomy, <50% of the inferior articular processes in the transverse dimension, foraminotomy according to the extent of radiculopathy, with both facet joints preservedCircumferential fusion with pedicle screws, posterolateral fusion with autogenous iliac bone graft, and posterior lumbar interbody fusion using a titanium cage filled with a local bone graft
    Kleinstueck 201110 Diagnosed spondylolisthesis with a maximum of 3 levels affected, and then operated with decompression or with decompression + fusion1–3DecompressionInstrumented fusion
    Matsudaira 200511 Diagnosed both spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis on single level at L4/5, and then operated with decompression or with decompression + fusion1Laminoplasty to preserve the integrity of midline structurePosterolateral fusion and pedicle screw instrumentation
    Park 201212 Diagnosed stable grade one spondylolisthesis, and then operated with decompression or with decompression + fusion1LaminectomyInstrumented fusion
    Sigmundsson 201513 Diagnosed both spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis on single level, and then operated with decompression or with decompression + fusion1DecompressionPosterolateral instrumented fusion
    Ulrich 201715 Diagnosed both spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis, and then operated with decompression or with decompression + fusion1–2Standard open or microscopic decompression of the lateral recess and the foraminaImplantation of pedicle screws with rods and intersomatic fusion and cage(s) at the affected level(s)
    • aOnly patients with spondylolisthesis were included in the analysis.

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    Table 3

    Summary of findings.

    OutcomesPrimary AnalysisRCT SubgroupGrade I SpondylolisthesisSingle-Vertebral Level Surgery
    Oswestry Disability IndexMD 4.04 [0.95, 7.13], P = 0.01; I 2: 80%MD 1.78 [−10.34, 13.91], P = 0.77; I 2: 80%MD 6.48 [1.17, 11.79], P < 0.001; I 2: 72%MD 4.15 [1.48, 6.82], P = 0.002; I 2: 0%
    MCID ODIOR 0.76 [0.57, 1.07], P = 0.12; I 2: 0%Insufficient dataInsufficient dataInsufficient data
    Back painSMD 0.27 [0.00, 0.53], P = 0.05; I 2: 90%Insufficient dataSMD 0.26 [−0.58, 1.10], P = 0.55; I 2: 95%SMD 0.15 [−0.20, 0.51], P = 0.39; I 2: 76%
    Leg painSMD 0.13 [0.06, 0.21], P < 0.001; I 2: 0%Insufficient dataSMD 0.02 [−0.17, 0.20], P = 0.86; I 2: 0%SMD 0.13 [−0.02, 0.28], P = 0.08; I 2: 0%
    ComplicationsOR 0.60 [0.34, 1.04], P = 0.07; I 2: 35%OR 0.49 [0.11, 2.23], P = 0.36; I 2: 68%OR 0.77 [0.45, 1.33], P = 0.35; I 2: 0%OR 0.42 [0.09, 1.94], P = 0.27; I 2: 37%
    ReoperationOR 1.17 [0.71, 1.93], P = 0.54; I 2: 52%OR 1.39 [0.33, 5.93], P = 0.66; I 2: 80%Insufficient dataInsufficient data
    Duration of surgeryMD −85.18 min [−122.79, −47.57], P < 0.001; I 2: 99%MD −104.40 min [−168.75, −40.04], P = 0.001; I 2: 96%MD −81.21 min [−129.40, −33.03], P = 0.001; I 2: 98%MD −115.38 min [−160.05, −70.71], P < 0.001; I 2: 91%
    Blood lossMD −262.65 mL [−313.45, −211.85], P < 0.001; I 2: 87%MD −345.00 mL [−458.89, −231.11], P < 0.001; I 2: 71%MD −267.15 mL [−326.17, −208.14], P < 0.001; I 2: 90%MD −277.09 mL [−395.15, −159.03], P < 0.001; I 2: 89%
    Length of hospital stayMD −2.64 d [−3.58, −1.70], P < 0.001; I 2: 91%MD −2.14 d [−3.12, −1.16], P < 0.001; I 2: 49%MD −2.09 d [−2.69, −1.49], P < 0.001; I 2: 62%MD −2.03 d [−2.62, −1.44], P < 0.001; I 2: 70%
    • Data in brackets represent 95% CIs.

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Decompression Alone Compared to Decompression With Fusion in Patients With Lumbar Spondylolisthesis: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression
Raymond Pranata, Michael Anthonius Lim, Rachel Vania, Tjokorda Gde Bagus Mahadewa
International Journal of Spine Surgery Feb 2022, 16 (1) 71-80; DOI: 10.14444/8179

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Decompression Alone Compared to Decompression With Fusion in Patients With Lumbar Spondylolisthesis: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression
Raymond Pranata, Michael Anthonius Lim, Rachel Vania, Tjokorda Gde Bagus Mahadewa
International Journal of Spine Surgery Feb 2022, 16 (1) 71-80; DOI: 10.14444/8179
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