Postoperative infections were the most common complication in spine patients at the 30- and 90- day checkpoint, according to the American Spine Registry’s 2026 report.
The report, released Feb. 26, includes data on cervical and lumbar procedures and outcomes from 2015 to 2024.
Here is a breakdown of the most common lumbar and cervical spine surgery complications:
Lumbar
After 30 days (n=3,956)
Infection: 59.83%
Hematoma/wound complications: 5.99%
Acute cardiac pulmonary: 2.96%
Deep vein Thrombosis: 0.43%
Delirium: 0.28%
GI/renal/neurological: 0.43%
Unspecified pain: 2.96%
Chronic cardiac/pulmonary: 5.99%
Other: 59.83%
After 90 days (n=3,956)
Infection: 56.55%
Hematoma/wound complications: 5.25%
Acute cardiac pulmonary: 3.47%
Deep vein Thrombosis: 0.3%
Delirium: 0.33%
GI/renal/neurological: 6.96%
Unspecified pain: 5.9%
Chronic cardiac/pulmonary: 2.75%
Other: 18.48%
Cervical
After 30 days (n=2,403)
Infection: 57.76%
Hematoma/wound complications: 5.78%
Acute cardiac pulmonary: 4.08%
Deep vein Thrombosis: 0.12%
Delirium: 0.29%
GI/renal/neurological: 5.95%
Unspecified pain: 3.91%
Chronic cardiac/pulmonary: 2.87%
Other: 19.23%
After 90 days (n=3,978)
Infection: 52.41%
Hematoma/wound complications: 4.32%
Acute cardiac pulmonary: 4.85%
Deep vein Thrombosis: 0.10%
Delirium: 0.28%
GI/renal/neurological: 7.67%
Unspecified pain: 3.95%
Chronic cardiac/pulmonary: 4.47%
Other: 21.95%
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