Fusion Construct Length is Associated With Increased Risk of Delayed Reoperation Following Cervical and Lumbar Fusion

Study DesignRetrospective cohort study.ObjectiveTo identify factors associated with delayed reoperation following cervical and lumbar fusion and characterize long-term healthcare utilization.MethodsPatients undergoing cervical or lumbar fusion for degenerative pathology within the PearlDiver Mariner 170 dataset were identified using ICD-10 and CPT codes. Delayed reoperation was assessed using narrow and broad definitions at 2-, 5-, and 10-year follow-up. Kaplan-Meier survivorship analysis and multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling were performed.ResultsA total of 286,398 cervical and 175,874 lumbar fusion patients met inclusion criteria for the 2-year cohort. By 10 years, narrow delayed reoperation occurred in 11.16% of cervical fusion patients and 14.07% of lumbar fusion patients (p