Spine Surgeries on the Rise in the U.S.

Across the United States there’s a wide range in the use of spine surgery. One thing’s for sure: the use of surgery for back problems is on the rise. Researchers for the Center for Cost and Outcomes Research at the University of Washington in Seattle summarize trends in care for back pain patients.

They looked at Medicare, Worker’s Compensation, and hospital data across the U.S. They found that the rate of spine surgery has gone up and up. The number of spine fusions increased 100 percent in the last 20 years. And they noticed a wide range of differences from region to region.

Other trends they noticed included:

  • More spine surgeries on an outpatient basis than ever before
  • Rate of spine surgery is the highest in the world in the U.S.
  • Rates tend to be lower on the east coast and higher in the west
  • Use of spine surgery varies greatly even within areas of a single state
  • Adults over the age of 65 make up the largest group of adults having spine surgery
  • The rate of reoperation increases dramatically for adults over age 80

    While the rate of back pain and back problems doesn’t vary among U.S. citizens, medical treatment of these conditions varies widely. Researchers aren’t sure why this is true. There is some concern about the overuse of spine surgery. None of the factors examined could really explain these trends.

    The authors say more studies of treatment and results are needed in this area. The wide range of differences shows that better guidelines for the use of spinal fusion and other spine surgeries is needed.