Surgical management of spinal pathologies in the octogenarian: a narrative review

Abstract

Optimal management paradigms of spinal pathologies in the octogenarian population are controversial given the higher incidence of comorbidities with concern for poor prognosis and fear of increased complications associated with surgical management. In this narrative review, we aim to detail the complex clinical considerations when approaching odontoid screw fixation/instrumented fusion, spinal decompression, and spinal fusion in the octogenarian. Literature review was conducted via Google Scholar and PubMed databases, with literature selected based on statistical power and clinical relevance to the following pathologies/surgical techniques: odontoid fracture, surgical decompression, and surgical fusion in the octogenarian. The aforementioned pathologies were selected based on prevalence in the advanced-age population in which surgical screening techniques and management remain nonuniform. Preoperative evaluation of the octogenarian patient increasingly includes frailty, sarcopenia, and osteopenia/osteoporosis assessments. In cases of odontoid fracture, conservative management appears to provide beneficial clinical outcomes with lower rates of complication compared to surgery; however, rates of radiographic odontoid fusion are far lower in conservatively managed patients. Regarding surgical decompression and fusion, the presence of comorbidities may be more predictive of outcome rather than age status, with the advent of minimally invasive techniques providing safety and efficacy in the surgical management of this age cohort. Age status may be less pertinent than previously thought in the decision to pursue spinal surgery for odontoid fracture, spinal decompression, or spinal fusion; however, each of these procedures has respective risks and benefits that must be considered within the context of each patient's comorbidity profile.

Keywords: Decompression; Fusion; Octogenarian; Odontoid fracture; Spine surgery.

Fig. 1

Visual demonstration of our perceived advantages and disadvantages of surgical fixation versus nonoperative management of odontoid fractures in the octogenarian population, which must be weighed within the context of each patient’s unique clinical presentation and comorbidity profile

Fig. 2

Sagittal a short tau inversion recovery (STIR) MRI and b non-contrast CT scan of the cervical spine demonstrating nondisplaced type III odontoid fracture in an 86-year-old male