Computer-Assisted Navigation Is Associated With Decreased Rates of Hardware-Related Revision After Instrumented Posterior Lumbar Fusion.

Abstract

Retrospective cohort study. To (1) define utilization trends for navigated instrumented posterior lumbar fusion (PLF), (2) compare reasons and rates of revision at 30-day, 60-day, 90-day, and 1-year follow-up, and (3) compare 90-day perioperative complications between navigated versus conventional instrumented PLF. Patients who underwent navigated or conventional instrumented PLF were identified from the Humana insurance database using the PearlDiver Patient Records between 2007-2017. Usage of navigation was characterized. Patient demographics and operative characteristics (number of levels fused, interbody usage) were compared between the 2 treatment groups. Propensity score matching was done and comparisons were made for revision rates at different follow-up periods (categorized by reasons) and other 90-day perioperative complications. This study included 1,648 navigated and 23 429 conventional instrumented PLF. Navigated cases increased over the years studied to approximately 10% in 2017. Statistical analysis after propensity score matching revealed significantly lower rates of hardware-related revision at 90-day follow-up in the navigated cohort (0.49% versus 1.15%, <i>P</i> = .033). At 1-year follow-up, the navigated cohort continued to have significantly lower rates of hardware-related revision (1.70% versus 2.73%, <i>P</i> = .044) as well as all cause revision (2.67% versus 4.00%, <i>P</i> = .032). There were no statistical differences between the 2 cohorts in any of the 90-day perioperative complications studied, such as cellulitis and blood transfusion (<i>P</i> > .05 for all). These findings suggest that navigation is associated with reductions in hardware-related revisions after instrumented PLF. However, these results should be interpreted cautiously in the setting of potential confounding by other unmeasured variables.