Smoking status was linked to outcomes after spinal fusion
A review found less favorable healing and symptom outcomes among smokers, while leaving uncertainty about the role of other patient differences.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Smoking was associated with lower rates of successful fusion and generally smaller improvements in pain and disability after instrumented spinal surgery. These pooled comparisons do not show that smoking itself caused the differences. The abstract also reports a pattern favoring never-smokers over former and current smokers, but calls for better adjustment for other influences.
The authors call for studies that better account for confounding. Follow-up periods and confidence intervals for the reported fusion rates are missing from the abstract, limiting interpretation of the pooled comparison.
What researchers found
Pooled weighted spinal fusion rates
Smokers versus nonsmokers after instrumented spinal fusion; follow-up duration and confidence intervals for these rates were not reported.
What was examined
The review combined comparisons of people who smoked and people who did not after instrumented spinal fusion. Researchers examined fusion, pain and disability, alongside differences by spinal region and the extent of surgery.
Different aspects of recovery
Fusion rates and pain or disability scores describe different aspects of recovery. Smokers also had more reported failures of fusion. The abstract does not establish whether every contrast in symptoms or subgroup outcomes was statistically significant.
The original publication
The association between smoking and clinical outcomes among spondylodesis patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Shafi M, Lebouille-Veldman AB, Omara C et al.
PLoS One · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41529063
- Record checked
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