Quality of Life and Disability Following Lumbar Spine Fusion: A Prospective Three-Time-Point Observational Study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate changes in disability and health-related quality of life following lumbar fusion surgery and to examine the influence of baseline demographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors on postoperative outcomes. DESIGN: This prospective cohort study assessed disability (ODI) and quality of life (SF-36) after lumbar fusion at hospitals affiliated with Kashan University of Medical Sciences using linear mixed-effects models. Analyses were performed in R (v4.5.1). RESULTS: A total of 100 patients who underwent lumbar spine fusion surgery were enrolled. Among the variables included, higher baseline pain intensity (β =2.94, P < 0.001), greater age (β = 0.55, P = 0.003), higher BMI (β = 0.93, P = 0.03), smoking status (β = -14.99, P < 0.001) were significantly associated with higher disability scores. Compared with baseline, the ODI score was significantly lower at both 3 and 6 months following surgery. Furthermore, the reduction in disability observed between 3 and 6 months postoperatively remained statistically significant (P < 0.05 for all comparisons). CONCLUSIONS: Beyond the effect of postoperative recovery time, social and lifestyle factors exert a substantial influence on surgical outcomes following lumbar fusion surgery. These determinants should be carefully considered in the planning and implementation of postoperative care strategies.