The True Effect of a Lumbar Dural Tear on Complications and Cost

Study Design. Retrospective database analysis. Objective. The aim of this study was to match risk factors for complications in patients who did and did not sustain a dural tear while undergoing posterior lumbar spine surgery and compare local and systemic complications. Summary of Background Data. Current data do not adequately define whether the event of sustaining an isolated dural tear increases the risk for postoperative complications while controlling for other confounding risk factors. Methods. The PearlDiver Database was queried for patients who underwent posterior lumbar spine decompression and/or fusion for degenerative pathology. Patients with and without dural tears were 1:2 matched based on demographic variables and comorbidities. Complications, cost, length of stay (LOS), and readmission rates were analyzed. Results. The 1:2 matched cohort included 9038 patients with a dural tear and 17,340 patients without a dural tear. All complications assessed were significantly higher in the dural tear group (P 
Source: Spine - Category: Orthopaedics Tags: CLINICAL CASE SERIES Source Type: research