Mehmet Emin BEKTAŞ, Ahmet EROĞLU, Cem ATABEY
Medical Science and Discovery - 2026;13(7):144-149
Objective: This study sought to evaluate the long-term clinical efficacy and patient-reported outcomes of decompression combined with instrumented posterolateral fusion in elderly patients with lumbar spinal stenosis through a retrospective analysis and comparison with the current literature. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 103 patients aged >60 years with LSS who underwent posterolateral stabilization and fusion surgery. Clinical outcomes were evaluated at a mean follow-up of 18 months (range, 12-36 months) using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Results: The mean patient age was 66.4 years (range, 60-83); 56 were female and 47 were male. The mean duration of preoperative symptoms was 12 years (range, 2-16 years). All patients had received prior medical treatment and physical therapy. The L4-L5 level was the most commonly affected segment (n = 78). Mean preoperative ODI and VAS scores were 80.7 +/- 8.4 (range, 34-100) and 8.77 +/- 0.85 (range, 2-10), respectively. Postoperatively, mean ODI and VAS scores improved to 20.5 +/- 9.8 (range, 0-100) and 2.05 +/- 1.57 (range, 0-10), respectively (p < 0.0001). Postoperative satisfaction assessment showed that 96 patients (93.2%) would choose to undergo the operation again. Seven patients (6.8%) reported dissatisfaction, primarily due to comorbid joint disease, weight gain, or heavy physical labor. Conclusion: In patients over 60 years of age with LSS, decompression with adjunctive transpedicular fixation and posterolateral fusion provides effective neural protection, significant pain relief, and functional recovery, with consistently favorable outcomes.
