The reserachers examined 84 consecutive patients with degenerative scoliosis, and the average age was 68 years old. The patients were followed for two years at minimum and placed into three groups according to body mass index. The reserachers found:
1. Compared with the normal weight group, there were no significant differences in:
- Surgical methods
- Comorbidites
- Complication rates
- Curve correction
- Radiographic measures
2. There was a greater preoperative lumbar lordosis in the overweight group, which was the only difference between the two groups in the measures listed in point number one.
3. After two years, Oswestry Disability Index and visual analogue scale scores improved significantly in all groups when compared with the preoperative scores.
4. There were similar change rates in all groups when comparing the preoperative and follow-up numbers.
5. The article authors concluded obesity did not affect the amount of deformity correction or increase comorbidities or postoperative complication rates.
“Obese and overweight patients benefited from surgery just as much as normal weight patients at two-year follow-up,” concluded the study authors.
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