Impact of Obesity and Underweight on Surgical Outcome of Lumbar Disc Herniation

Farzad Omidi-Kashani,Reza Khanzadeh,Mohammad Dawood Rahimi,Ehsan Rafeemanesh,Parham Seyf,Ebrahim Ghayem Hasankhani,Hassan Attarchi

doi:10.1155/2014/753286

Abstract

Background. The relationship between underweight and lumbar spine surgery is still unknown. Aim. To evaluate the effect of underweight versus obesity based on surgical outcome of lumbar disc herniation. Material and Method. In this retrospective study, we evaluated 206 patients (112 male and 94 female) with a mean age of 37.5±3.1 years old (ranged 20–72) who have been surgically treated due to the refractory simple primary L4-L5 disc herniation. We followed them up for a mean period of 42.4±7.2 months (ranged 24–57). We used Body Mass Index (BMI), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for categorization, disability, and pain assessment, respectively. We used Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney U tests for statistics. Results. Surgical discectomy in all weight groups was associated with significant improvement in pain and disability, but intergroup comparison showed these improvements in both underweight and obese groups and they were significantly lower than in normal weight group. Excellent and good satisfaction rate was also somewhat lower in both these ends of weight spectrum, but statistically insignificant. Conclusion. Both obesity and underweight may have adverse prognostic influences on the surgical outcome of lumbar disc herniation, although their impact on subjective satisfaction rate seems to be insignificant.

Highlights

Obesity with its increased stress on the lumbar spine has a known adverse effect on lumbar intervertebral discs
It is nearly proven that obesity has several adverse effects on the lumbar spine but does this mean that underweight has a protective effect on it? Is underweight associated with better lumbar spinal surgical outcomes? There is still little investigation has been performed to evaluate a possible relationship between underweight and the results of lumbar surgeries
In this study we aimed to evaluate the effect of underweight versus obesity on the surgical outcome of the patients with symptomatic lumbar disc herniation who have undergone operative treatment

Summary

Introduction

Obesity with its increased stress on the lumbar spine has a known adverse effect on lumbar intervertebral discs. Is underweight associated with better lumbar spinal surgical outcomes? In this study we aimed to evaluate the effect of underweight versus obesity on the surgical outcome of the patients with symptomatic lumbar disc herniation who have undergone operative treatment. Aim. To evaluate the effect of underweight versus obesity based on surgical outcome of lumbar disc herniation. In this retrospective study, we evaluated 206 patients (112 male and 94 female) with a mean age of 37.5 ± 3.1 years old (ranged 20–72) who have been surgically treated due to the refractory simple primary L4-L5 disc herniation. Both obesity and underweight may have adverse prognostic influences on the surgical outcome of lumbar disc herniation, their impact on subjective satisfaction rate seems to be insignificant

Objectives

Results

Conclusion