Surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A multicenter observational study.

OBJECTIVE To compare clinical outcomes following microdecompression surgery or laminectomy for central lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) between patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and patients without rheumatic disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS Data were collected from the Norwegian Registry for Spine Surgery. The primary outcome was change in the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score at 1 year. The secondary endpoints were health-related quality of life that was measured using the Euro-Qol-5D (EQ-5D), back pain numerical rating scale (NRS), leg pain NRS, and complications. RESULTS A total of 1433 patients were included (1396 controls and 37 patients with RA). For all the patients, there was an improvement in ODI score 16.7 points; 95% confidence interval (CI), 15.7, 17.7; p<0.001). There were no differences between controls and patients with RA with respect to the mean changes of ODI scores (-2.5 points; 95% CI, -9.0 to 4.1; p=0.462), EQ-5D (p=0.295), back pain NRS (p=0.194), leg pain NRS (p=0.927), and complications within 3 months of surgery (12.8% vs. 13.5%, p=0.806). At 1 year, 68.6% (n=775) of controls had achieved a minimal clinically important difference (≥8 points ODI score improvement) compared with 65.5% (n=19) of patients with RA (p=0.726). CONCLUSION Patients with RA experienced similar and large improvements in patient-reported outcomes following surgical decompression for LSS compared with patients without rheumatic disease. There was no increased risk of complications in patients with RA.