Optimal Age Cutoffs for Osteoporosis Screening in Lumbar Fusion Surgery

This research article investigates the optimal age cutoffs for osteoporosis and osteopenia screening in patients undergoing lumbar fusion surgery (LFS). The study addresses the established risk factor of impaired bone quality for adverse outcomes after LFS and highlights the need for specific recommendations for spine surgery patients. A review of patients aged 50 years and older from an institutional database was conducted, focusing on preoperative lumbar spine computed tomography scans. The findings reveal that 70% of the patients had impaired bone quality, with 34% diagnosed with osteoporosis, of which 38% were previously undiagnosed. The study identifies optimal age thresholds of 70 years for males and 65 years for females for detecting osteoporosis, while suggesting 63 years for males and 65 years for females for detecting impaired bone status. The performance of these thresholds was found to be fair, particularly in males, indicating a need for further evidence on noninvasive diagnostic tools for preoperative osteoporosis screening in specific patient populations.