Does Preoperative Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio Predict Patient-Reported Pain and Functional Outcomes at 12 Months After Lumbar Fusion?

Background: Preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been described in various fields to predict pain outcomes, but its prognostic utility for pain/functional outcomes after spine surgery is unclear.

Objective: To determine the relationship between preoperative NLR and pain/functional outcomes at 12 months after lumbar fusion.

Methods: We performed a single-center retrospective study of 53 patients who underwent lumbar fusion and collected demographic data including age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, spinal levels operated, and preoperative NLR.

Preoperative lymphocyte percentage and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio are useful predictors of 30-day postoperative complications after lumbar fusion.

Background: Lymphocyte percentage/count, platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) have shown prognostic significance in patients with cancer, stroke, and following cardiac surgery. However, the utility of these blood parameters for assessing the 30-day postoperative risk for lumbar fusion complications has not been established.

Methods: In this single-center-single-surgeon retrospective series, 77 consecutive patients underwent one- or two-level lumbar fusion.