Effects of Sarcopenia on Surgical Outcomes After Biportal Endoscopic Lumbar Decompression and Fusion: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Authors

Tae-Soung Kim, Ki-Han You, Seung-Yeon Jeong, Sun-Ho Cha, Sang-Min Park, Moon-Soo Park, Young-Woo Kim, Hyun-Jin Park

Published in

Spine. Aug 19, 2026. Epub Aug 19, 2026.

Abstract

Retrospective, single-center study.
To evaluate the effects of sarcopenia on perioperative parameters and postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing biportal endoscopic lumbar surgery.
Sarcopenia is associated with adverse surgical outcomes. However, its impact on minimally invasive procedures, particularly biportal endoscopic lumbar surgery, remains unclear.
We retrospectively analyzed data from 153 patients who underwent biportal endoscopic lumbar surgery (decompression, n=101; fusion, n=52) between October 2021 and November 2023. Patients were classified into sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups based on appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM), handgrip strength, and 6-m gait speed. Demographic characteristics, perioperative parameters, clinical outcomes, and complication rates were compared between the groups. Outcomes were assessed from the preoperative period to 12 months postoperatively.
ASM and 6-m gait speed were significantly lower in patients with sarcopenia, within both decompression and fusion cohorts (P<0.001). The Oswestry Disability Index and EuroQol-5D index improved in all groups, without significant between-group differences at 12 months postoperatively. In the fusion group, patients with sarcopenia had a significantly longer hospital stay (15.0 vs. 11.9 d, P=0.003), despite similar operative time and estimated blood loss. Postoperative C-reactive protein and creatine phosphokinase levels were higher in patients with sarcopenia undergoing fusion, without reaching significance. Complication rates were equivalent in all groups.
Sarcopenia was not associated with inferior clinical outcomes or higher complication rates following biportal endoscopic lumbar surgery. However, patients with sarcopenia undergoing fusion surgery experienced a longer hospital stay, suggesting delayed early postoperative recovery. Overall, biportal endoscopic lumbar surgery may be an acceptable surgical option for patients with sarcopenia.

PMID:
42628012
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 22 Aug 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.