Association of osteopenia and osteoporosis with higher rates of pseudarthrosis and revision surgery in adult patients undergoing single-level lumbar fusion

Postoperative pseudarthrosis and revision surgery rates following single-level lumbar spinal fusion are significantly higher in patients with osteopenia and osteoporosis than in patients with normal BMD. Pretreatment with medications to prevent bone loss prior to surgery decreased these complication rates, although the observed differences did not reach statistical significance.